Russian officials reported on Tuesday that at least 15 drones were shot down overnight in a wave of attacks around Moscow, which resulted in the death of a woman, fires in residential buildings, and the suspension of over 30 flights in the capital.
The Moscow region witnessed widespread disruption, with emergency crews responding to multiple sites, including the areas near Zhukovo Airport and Domodedovo district, home to one of the city’s largest airports. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed the downing of the drones via Telegram, noting that authorities were swiftly dispatched to contain the situation.
According to Russia’s RIA news agency, both Zhukovo and Domodedovo airports were closed for air traffic, affecting more than 30 domestic and international flights.
The attacks set at least two high-rise apartment buildings on fire in the Ramenskoye district, located southeast of the Kremlin, where the governor of the Moscow region, Andrei Vorobyov, reported the death of a 46-year-old woman and injuries to three others. A total of 43 residents were evacuated to temporary shelters.
Footage shared by the SHOT and Baza Telegram channels, both close to Russian security services, showed flames engulfing a multi-storey residential building in the district, with five flats reportedly destroyed.
Authorities in the Tula region, neighbouring Moscow, reported that drone wreckage had landed on a fuel and energy facility, though the facility’s “technological process” remained unaffected.
More than 60 additional drones were shot down over the southwestern Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, as well as the southern Lipetsk region. While no casualties or damage were reported there, the frequency of such attacks highlights the growing threat of drone warfare between Russia and Ukraine.
Ukraine has significantly ramped up drone strikes on Russian energy, military, and transportation infrastructure. These attacks come as Kyiv’s domestic drone industry rapidly expands amid the ongoing war, and follow a series of Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia’s energy facilities earlier this month. There was no immediate comment from Ukrainian officials.
The drone assaults occur at a critical juncture in the war, with Russia launching an offensive in eastern Ukraine, while simultaneously struggling to repel Kyiv forces after they breached Russia’s western border in August.
Both Russia and Ukraine deny targeting civilians, and officials in Moscow have been criticised for not fully disclosing the extent of the damage caused by Ukrainian strikes. Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to lobby the U.S. for permission to use more powerful Western-supplied weapons to increase its impact on Russian infrastructure.
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