Moscow Airports Temporarily Closed Following Overnight Drone Assault, Russia Says

<p>Russia has accused Ukraine of launching an overnight drone attack on Moscow for the second consecutive night, escalating tensions amid ongoing clashes along the Russia-Ukraine border.</p>
<p>According to Russia’s aviation agency Rosaviatsia, all four of Moscow’s major airports were temporarily closed to ensure civilian safety. The disruption came as the Russian capital braced for another wave of aerial threats.</p>
<p>Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed via social media that “at least 19 Ukrainian drones had been destroyed before they reached the city ‘from different directions.'” He noted that some drone debris had fallen onto a key highway leading into Moscow but reported no casualties.</p>
<p>Ukraine has not yet officially commented on the latest drone assault. However, the incident follows increased military activity in Russia&rsquo;s western Kursk region, which borders Ukraine.</p>
<p>On Sunday, Ukrainian forces claimed to have struck a drone command unit near the Russian village of Tyotkino. Then, on Monday, fresh incursions were reported in the same region. Ukrainian forces reportedly fired missiles across the border and used specialized vehicles to cross minefields.</p>
<p>Military blogger RVvoenkor, citing ongoing combat near the border, wrote: “The enemy blew up bridges with rockets at night and launched an attack with armoured groups in the morning. The mine clearance vehicles began to make passages in the minefields, followed by armoured vehicles with troops. There is a heavy battle going on at the border.”</p>
<p>In an official statement, Ukraine’s Defense 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.”</p>
<p>Ukrainian forces originally pushed into the Kursk region in August 2024 in a surprise maneuver intended to establish a buffer zone to protect the northeastern Ukrainian city of Sumy and nearby areas. Kyiv also viewed the operation as a potential bargaining chip in future negotiations.</p>
<p>Meanwhile, in Kursk&rsquo;s town of Rylsk, Russian officials reported an electrical substation was damaged in a Ukrainian strike on Monday, knocking out power. Acting governor Alexander Khinshtein said two transformers were hit and “two teenagers had been injured by shrapnel from the blast.”</p>
<p>Russian military bloggers have circulated unverified images allegedly showing Ukrainian vehicles breaching tank traps along the border. Some also published maps suggesting multiple Ukrainian attempts to cross near Tyotkino.</p>
<p>Back across the border, local authorities in Ukraine&rsquo;s Sumy region&mdash;just 12km from Tyotkino&mdash;have called for evacuations from two settlements amid fears of spillover violence, Reuters reported.</p>