Ukraine drones attack on Moscow forces airport closure, Russia says
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Ukrainian drone attacks force airport shutdowns near Moscow, mayor says
Moscow’s two major airports temporarily suspended operations early on June 8 due to a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes. The attacks forced authorities to temporarily close Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports. Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that 61 Ukrainian drones were launched between the evening of June 7 and the morning of June 8, targeting Russian territory and occupied Crimea. Ukraine’s military has not yet commented on the attack, and the Kyiv Independent cannot verify information provided by Russian officials.
Moscow’s two major airports temporarily suspended operations early on June 8 due to a wave of Ukrainian drone strikes targeting the Russian capital and its surrounding regions, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported on Telegram.
According to Sobyanin, air defense units began intercepting drones flying toward Moscow shortly after 4 a.m. Between 5:59 a.m. and 8:19 a.m., he reported the downing of 10 drones in separate waves.
Each incident was followed by the deployment of emergency services to the crash sites.
The attacks forced authorities to temporarily close Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports — two of the city’s busiest hubs. Operations were reportedly suspended around 6:53 a.m. local time, disrupting passenger traffic and causing delays.
Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that 61 Ukrainian drones were launched between the evening of June 7 and the morning of June 8, targeting Russian territory and occupied Crimea.
The ministry said drones were intercepted over Moscow and its suburbs, as well as in Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Tula, Oryol, and Kursk oblasts.
Ukraine’s military has not yet commented on the attack, and the Kyiv Independent cannot verify information provided by Russian officials.
Kyiv has stepped up its long-range drone campaign against Russia in recent months, particularly targeting Moscow and key military infrastructure. Though most drones are intercepted before reaching the capital, the threat has caused repeated disruptions to civilian air travel.
Since Jan. 1, Ukrainian drone raids have prompted at least 217 temporary airport closures across Russia, according to data from Rosaviatsia, Russia’s aviation agency, the independent outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on May 14.
On the nights ahead of Russia’s Victory Day on May 9, drone strikes prompted widespread flight restrictions that affected travel plans for more than 60,000 passengers, according to the Association of Russian Tour Operators.
While Ukrainian officials have not publicly commented on the latest attacks, defense officials in Kyiv have consistently described strikes on military and logistical targets inside Russia as legitimate acts of self-defense amid Moscow’s ongoing aggression.
Ukraine war latest: Russia claims troops reach new Ukrainian region
Russia claims troops reach Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. The Russian defence ministry said a tank division had advanced to the western border of Donetsk and was continuing its advance. Sky News cannot independently verify these battlefield reports.
Russia claims it has reached the Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine, according to reports.
Dnipropetrovsk is located on the western border of the Donetsk region and northern border of the Zaporizhzhia region.
The Russian defence ministry said a tank division had advanced to the western border of Donetsk and was continuing its advance into Dnipropetrovsk, Interfax news agency reported.
Last month, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration Serhiy Lysak said Russia was spreading disinformation about entering the region to sow panic.
Sky News cannot independently verify these battlefield reports.
On Friday, the Institute for the Study of War assessed the control zones to be as follows…
Ukraine war latest: Russia claims troops reach new Ukrainian region
Russia claims troops reach Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. The Russian defence ministry said a tank division had advanced to the western border of Donetsk and was continuing its advance. Sky News cannot independently verify these battlefield reports.
Russia claims it has reached the Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine, according to reports.
Dnipropetrovsk is located on the western border of the Donetsk region and northern border of the Zaporizhzhia region.
The Russian defence ministry said a tank division had advanced to the western border of Donetsk and was continuing its advance into Dnipropetrovsk, Interfax news agency reported.
Last month, the head of the Dnipropetrovsk regional military administration Serhiy Lysak said Russia was spreading disinformation about entering the region to sow panic.
Sky News cannot independently verify these battlefield reports.
On Friday, the Institute for the Study of War assessed the control zones to be as follows…
Kyiv launches drone attack on Moscow, official claims, following Russia’s large-scale attack on Ukraine overnight
Moscow’s Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports were closed for about two hours amid the attack, Russian state media reported. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that 45 cruise missiles were shot down by air defense and 266 drones were neutralized, while 22 locations recorded a direct strike. The attack comes one night after one of the heaviest Russian assaults on Kyiv throughout the full-scale war. It also coincides with Kyiv Day, a city holiday typically celebrated on the last Sunday in May.
Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Several Ukrainian drones were downed by Russian air defenses on their approach to Moscow, Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed on May 25. Sobyanin’s report comes following Russia’s large-scale missile and drone attack on multiple cities of Ukraine, which killed 12 people and injured 60.
Sobyanin said that emergency crews are on-scene at various locations as to where the debris of at least four drones fell.
It was not immediately clear as to the damage caused by the alleged attack, or as to whether there were any casualties.
Moscow’s Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports were closed for about two hours between 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. local time amid the attack, Russian state media reported.
Ukraine’s military has not yet commented on the attack and the Kyiv Independent cannot verify information provided by Russian officials.
The attack on Moscow comes after Russia launched 69 missiles and 298 drones overnight , according to Ukraine’s Air Force.
The Air Force reported that 45 cruise missiles were shot down by air defense and 266 drones were neutralized, while 22 locations recorded a direct strike.
The attacks come one night after one of the heaviest Russian assaults on Kyiv throughout the full-scale war. The attack also coincides with Kyiv Day, a city holiday typically celebrated on the last Sunday in May.
In recent week, Kyiv has ramped up its attack on Moscow, launching hundreds of Ukrainian kamikaze drones towards the Russian capital. While none have appeared to have reached Moscow, the attacks have caused significant disruptions to commuter air traffic.
Ukrainian drones have forced at least 218 temporary airport closures across Russia since Jan. 1, independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta Europe reported on May 14, citing data from Russia’s state aviation agency Rosaviatsia.
Russia’s air defenses destroyed and intercepted 110 Ukrainian drones overnight on May 25, Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed, including over Moscow and Kursk oblasts.
The second night of large-scale attacks on Kyiv comes as Russia and Ukraine have continued to engage in peace talks. Despite some progress to establish a 1,000 for 1,000 prisoner exchange, Moscow continues to reject the prospects of a 30-day ceasefire.