Ukraine launched a fresh wave of overnight drone attacks targeting Moscow for a second consecutive night, forcing the temporary closure of the Russian capital’s major airports, Russian authorities said on Tuesday.
According to Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation watchdog, all four of Moscow’s main airports — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky — were shut down for several hours due to security concerns but resumed operations later.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated on social media that air defence systems had intercepted at least 19 Ukrainian drones approaching the city from multiple directions. He confirmed that fragments of intercepted drones fell on a key highway leading into the capital but reported no casualties.
Kyiv has not yet officially commented on the attacks. However, Ukrainian regional officials reported fresh Russian drone assaults on Kharkiv and Kyiv overnight. In Odesa, one person was reported killed following a drone strike, according to Governor Oleh Kiper.
This marks the second night in succession that Ukraine has targeted Russian territory with drones. On Monday, Russia’s defence ministry said it had downed 26 drones launched by Ukraine.
While Moscow authorities reported minimal physical damage, Russian military bloggers suggested an apartment building in southern Moscow suffered broken windows. Drone strikes were also reported overnight in several other Russian cities, including Penza and Voronezh.
The aerial assault follows renewed border tensions in Russia’s Kursk region. Ukraine claims its forces hit a drone command unit near the village of Tyotkino on Sunday. Kyiv’s General Staff said the attack was part of broader operations in the border area, where Ukrainian troops have maintained a presence since last year.
Although Moscow claimed in April that it had fully regained control of the Kursk region, Kyiv disputes this, asserting that Ukrainian forces are still operating across the border.
On Monday, officials in the town of Rylsk, also in Kursk, said an electrical substation was damaged in a drone strike. Two transformers were reportedly destroyed, and two teenagers sustained injuries from shrapnel, according to acting governor Alexander Khinshtein.
Unverified footage circulated by Russian military bloggers showed vehicles attempting to breach border tank traps and cross into Russian territory. Several of the bloggers alleged that Ukrainian troops fired missiles, blew up bridges, and used armoured groups to initiate a cross-border incursion.
“Mine clearance vehicles began to create passages in the minefields, followed by armoured vehicles carrying troops,” said the military blog RVvoenkor, adding that “a heavy battle is ongoing at the border.”
In a statement issued on Monday, Ukraine’s Defence Forces said: “Nine months after the start of the Kursk operation, Ukraine’s Defence Forces maintain a military presence on the territory of Russia’s Kursk region.”
While Russian officials have yet to release a formal statement regarding these latest developments, some pro-Kremlin bloggers published battlefield maps indicating attempted incursions at multiple points near Tyotkino.
Meanwhile, authorities in Ukraine’s Sumy region, which lies just 12km from Tyotkino, have urged civilians to evacuate from two settlements due to heightened hostilities.
Ukraine originally launched its incursion into Kursk in August 2024, describing the move as a strategic effort to create a buffer zone to protect Sumy and nearby areas. Analysts say Kyiv may also view the region as leverage in any potential future negotiations.
Tensions continue to mount along the border as both sides exchange drone and missile fire, with the civilian toll in surrounding regions rising steadily.
