Moscow’s four international airports temporarily suspended operations on Tuesday after Russian forces intercepted more than 100 drones launched by Ukraine across a dozen regions, according to the Ministry of Defense in Moscow.
The offensive also forced the temporary closure of nine additional regional airports, as drones targeted areas along the Ukrainian border and deeper inside Russian territory, reported the civil aviation agency Rosaviatsia.
This marked the second consecutive night of drone strikes in the Moscow region, coinciding with a sensitive moment: President Vladimir Putin had declared a 72-hour unilateral ceasefire to align with the upcoming Victory Day celebrations, which commemorate the Soviet Union’s defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945 and remain Russia’s most significant secular holiday.
On Thursday, leaders including China’s Xi Jinping and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva are expected in Moscow to attend the 80th anniversary parade, featuring thousands of troops, tanks, and missile displays. Authorities have warned of heightened security and possible internet access restrictions in the capital, and have urged residents to refrain from setting off fireworks.
Putin announced the ceasefire “for humanitarian reasons” starting May 8, though Ukraine has called for a longer pause in hostilities. Kyiv has endorsed a U.S.-backed proposal for a 30-day halt in fighting, which Moscow has rejected, insisting on specific conditions.
“The ceasefire may not seem like much, but it’s… a lot if you knew where we started,” U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed that ceasefire orders had been issued, but stated Russian troops would respond if attacked.
Ukraine has increasingly relied on domestically-produced drones to offset its smaller military forces, using them to strike deep inside Russian territory and along the roughly 1,000-kilometer front line. Meanwhile, Russia continues to deploy Shahed drones, 1,300-kilogram glide bombs, cruise missiles, and ballistic weapons against Ukrainian targets.
In Russia’s Kursk region, two people were reportedly injured, and property damage was noted in Voronezh, according to Governor Alexander Khinshtein. These reports could not be independently verified.
Ukraine’s air force reported that Russia launched 136 drones—both attack and decoy units—overnight. At least 20 Shahed drones struck Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city near the Russian border, wounding four people and sparking a fire at the Barabashovo market, which destroyed or damaged around 100 stalls, according to Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Seven more civilians were injured elsewhere in the Kharkiv region by Russian glide bombs and drones, Syniehubov added. In Kramatorsk, in the eastern Donetsk region, Shahed drones killed one person and injured two more in attacks on residential and industrial areas, wrote Mayor Oleksandr Honcharenko on Facebook. In the Odesa region, Russian drones struck residential buildings and civilian infrastructure, killing one person, regional chief Oleh Kiper reported on Telegram.
