On the night of 19 July, Russia was shaken by a large-scale drone attack carried out by Ukraine. According to statements from the Russian Ministry of Defence and Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, a total of 142 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were destroyed in attacks that lasted from night until morning.
Of the drones that were destroyed, 27 were taken down near Moscow, while the remainder were intercepted over the western regions of the country and above the Black Sea airspace. Official sources reported no casualties or injuries as a result of the attacks.
Crisis at Moscow Airports
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) announced that four major airports serving the capital were affected by the attack. Flights at Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports were temporarily suspended. For safety reasons, 134 flights were diverted to alternate airports.
As of 10:00 a.m. local time today, flight operations have reportedly returned to normal at all airports except Vnukovo Airport (Moscow Oblast) and Grabtsevo Airport (Kaluga Oblast).
Attacks Put Defence Systems in the Spotlight
This latest attack once again highlights Ukraine’s growing drone capabilities and the active deployment of Russia’s air defence systems. Experts are drawing attention to the increasing impact of UAV attacks on civilian air traffic in Moscow’s airspace, while international observers are closely monitoring the ability of these defence systems to protect urban infrastructure.
