Moscow airports temporarily closed after Ukraine drone attacks

A sustained Ukrainian drone attack on Russia has caused Moscow's major airports to be temporarily closed and has seen at least 140 flights cancelled.

According to the Russian defence ministry, more than 230 Ukrainian drones were downed over Russia since Saturday morning - including 27 over the capital.

According to Russia's aviation watchdog, the four major airports serving the capital were disrupted, and more than 130 flights also had to be redirected.

All have since resumed normal operations.

According to regional officials, at least three people were killed during Russian air strikes on Ukraine overnight.

Russia's Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) said yesterday that Moscow’s airports were closed 10 times in 24 hours due to the strikes.

The Kaluga region, southwest of Moscow, was also affected.

Russia's defence ministry said it had intercepted 45 drones since Saturday morning, resulting in Kaluga International Airport also being temporarily closed.

Russia's defence ministry said drones were also shot down over regions near the Ukrainian border, including Rostov and Bryansk, as well as over the Black Sea. No fatalities were reported.

This is not the first time that Ukrainian drone attacks have caused travel disruption in Russia.

In May, at least 60,000 passengers were stranded at airports across the country after Kyiv launched more than 500 drones in a 24-hour period, according to Russia's defence ministry.

Source: BBC