Key facts
- Russia claimed dozens of Ukrainian drones were intercepted en route to Moscow on September 20.
- Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated 76 drones were shot down near the capital.
- Emergency workers were operating at sites where drone debris had fallen.
- Russian aviation authorities temporarily restricted operations at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports.
- Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 288 Ukrainian drones on September 19 over various regions.
- The September 19 interceptions were reported over Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Kaluga, Oryol, Tula, Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Vladimir, the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, occupied Crimea, and the Black Sea.
Russian authorities claimed on September 20 that dozens of Ukrainian drones were intercepted on their way to Moscow as part of a broader overnight attack targeting multiple regions across Russia. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses had shot down drones approaching the capital, later reporting that the total number intercepted had risen to 76. He stated that emergency workers were operating at sites where drone debris had fallen, though no further details were provided. Russian aviation authorities temporarily restricted operations at Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports near Moscow overnight, citing flight safety concerns. The Kyiv Independent could not immediately verify Russia’s claims. The attacks occurred after Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed earlier that its air defenses had intercepted and destroyed 288 Ukrainian drones between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. local time on September 19 over multiple regions, including the Moscow region, occupied Crimea, and the Black Sea. According to the ministry, these drones were intercepted over Belgorod, Kursk, Bryansk, Kaluga, Oryol, Tula, Ryazan, Nizhny Novgorod, and Vladimir oblasts, the Moscow region, Krasnodar Krai, occupied Crimea, and the Black Sea. Russian authorities also reported temporary restrictions at other airports, including Saratov, as the attacks continued.