Russia downs four drones near Moscow and temporarily shuts airports
Updated
Updated · BBC.com · May 5
Russia downs four drones near Moscow and temporarily shuts airports
12 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 5
All three Moscow airports closed briefly on Tuesday morning, while Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said the drones were intercepted near the capital.
The disruption came as Zelensky accused Russia of "utter cynicism" after overnight missile and drone strikes killed five people in Ukraine despite Moscow proposing a 8-9 May ceasefire.
Kyiv said it would observe an open-ended truce from midnight on 6 May and respond symmetrically, while both sides launched deep strikes ahead of Russia's scaled-back Victory Day celebrations.
Can Russia's military adapt before Ukraine's drone 'scalpel' cripples its war economy?
With Victory Day parades shrinking, is Putin losing control of the war's narrative at home?
Ukraine's tech sector is rewriting warfare. Which nation will next use this blueprint for asymmetric conflict?
220 Drones Intercepted Nationwide: How Ukraine’s February 2026 Strikes Shattered Moscow’s Airspace
Overview
On February 22, 2026, Russian air defenses intercepted 11 Ukrainian drones near Moscow, prompting the shutdown of all four major airports and causing widespread disruption to civilian air travel. These attacks, part of a larger wave of 220 drones intercepted nationwide, aimed to pressure Russia psychologically and disrupt its logistics, including a strike on an oil depot in Luhansk that ignited a fuel tank. Ukraine's rapidly growing drone industry and innovative interceptor drones have improved defense success rates, while Russia adapts with new tactics like daytime attacks. The conflict highlights a fast-evolving drone warfare arms race with significant civilian, economic, and strategic impacts.