Russia shuts down Moscow airports amid Ukrainian drone strikes

Editor’s note: This is a developing story and is being updated.

Russian authorities have been forced to shut down airports in Moscow amid a barrage of Ukrainian drone strikes overnight, Russian officials and state media reported on May 23.

Operations have been suspended at Moscow’s Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, Russian air defense allegedly shot down six drones that were “flying toward Moscow."

At 2:41 a.m. local time, Sobyanin reported that three more drones were allegedly shot down.

Emergency services are working at the impact site. There are no reported casualties.

For three consecutive nights, Ukraine has launched massive waves of drones deep into Russian territory.

Between the evening of May 20 and the morning of May 22, Russia claims to have shot down 485 drones on its territory.

The latest strikes come amid a concerted Ukrainian drone campaign to disrupt air travel in Russia. Ukraine has launched hundreds of drones, forcing at least 217 temporary airport closures across Russia since Jan. 1.

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The Kyiv IndependentKateryna Denisova