Kathryn Armstrong
BBC News
EPA/ShutterStock
Moscow region airports have been confused several times in recent months due to Ukraine’s air attacks (recent images)
Moscow’s major airports were temporarily closed and at least 140 flights have been cancelled as Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia persisted, officials said.
More than 230 Ukrainian drones have fallen in Russia since Saturday morning, including 27 people, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
According to Russian Air Watchdog, four major airports serving the capital were confused, and more than 130 flights had to be redirected as well. Since then, everything has resumed normal operations.
Meanwhile, local officials say at least three people were killed overnight during a Russian air attack in Ukraine.
The Russian Tour Operators Association (ATOR) said on Sunday that Moscow’s airport was closed 10 times in 24 hours due to the strike.
The Kalga region southwest of Moscow was also affected. The Russian Ministry of Defense said that Kalga International Airport was also temporarily closed as it intercepted 45 drones since Saturday morning.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said drones were being fired down in areas near the Ukrainian border, including Rostov and Briansk, as well as above the Black Sea. No deaths have been reported.
This is not the first time that a Ukrainian drone attack has caused chaos in Russia’s travel. In May, at least 60,000 passengers were stranded at airports nationwide after Kyiv launched more than 500 drones in 24 hours, according to the Russian Ministry of Defense.
Regional Ukrainian officials said two people died after Russian air struck in various parts of Donetsk, and the 78-year-old woman died after a 78-year-old woman burned out in Smee.
The Ukrainian Air Force said 18 of the 57 Russian drones were fired down overnight on Sunday, but seven more were lost after the radar got clogged.
Like Sumy and Donetsk, other frontline regions of Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk were attacked.
Donetsk Regional Management
Russian attacks damaged or destroyed several homes overnight in Donetsk
The latest attack comes when Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that while Russian President Vladimir Putin is ready to move towards a peace reconciliation with Ukraine, Moscow’s priority is to “achieve our goals.”
“President Putin has repeatedly expressed his desire to bring Ukraine’s reconciliation to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. This is a long process, requires effort, and is not easy,” he said in a television interview.
It has been almost three and a half years since Moscow began a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
On Saturday, Ukrainian President Voldimir Zelensky proposed a new round of consultations with Moscow, with the aim of resuming negotiations that had been suspended last month.
Previous attempts to negotiate the conclusion of the battle between Russia and Ukraine failed to achieve a ceasefire, but resulted in the exchange of prisoners.
Zelensky also reiterated his readiness to meet in the face of Russia’s Vladimir Putin, saying, “To ensure peace, we need meetings at the leadership level.”
Ukraine was supported this week when President Donald Trump, who had often expressed support and praise for Russian leaders in the past, announced that the US would send “the best weapons” to Ukraine through NATO countries.
Trump also threatened Russia with severe tariffs if the contract to end the war did not reach within 50 days, and later told the BBC he was “disappointed” with Putin but “not over.”
In response to this in a Sunday interview, Peskov said: [Trump’s] Rather, it is harsh and straightforward rhetoric.
“At the same time, he reaffirms his intention to continue doing everything possible to promote peaceful reconciliation.”
