Key facts
- Nearly 60 drones were shot down over Moscow early Monday.
- Flights at several Moscow-area airports were temporarily suspended.
- The incident follows recent Ukrainian drone attacks on Moscow's oil refinery.
- Sevastopol in Crimea cancelled public events and street lighting.
- Crimea has suspended fuel sales to the public and businesses.
Russian authorities reported shooting down nearly 60 drones targeting Moscow in the early hours of Monday, prompting a temporary suspension of flights at several of the capital's airports. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin announced the downings on Telegram, stating that emergency services were dispatched to affected areas.
Airports including Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovskiy briefly halted operations before resuming flights later. This latest incident occurs days after Ukraine reportedly struck Moscow's sole oil refinery with drones. Last week's attack saw nearly 200 drones downed in what was described as one of the largest air assaults on the city since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
In Russia-annexed Crimea, the city of Sevastopol cancelled all open-air public events and street lighting for Monday. Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev urged residents to conserve electricity. Crimea has also suspended fuel sales to the public and businesses, restricting supplies to essential services and security agencies due to a fuel crisis exacerbated by Ukrainian attacks on supply routes and energy facilities.