Russian air defences claim to have successfully intercepted a large-scale Ukrainian drone attack targeting Moscow, leading to temporary airport disruptions and raising concerns about escalating conflict.
Russian air defences intercepted and destroyed 250 Ukrainian drones targeting the capital over the weekend, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Monday.
The mayor's remarks came as some of the major airports curtailed their operations on Monday morning.
"Thank you to the Ministry of Defence's Air Defence System for your professional and dedicated work," Sobyanin wrote in a social media post, noting that about 250 fixed-wing drones, directly approaching the capital or on the second line of defence, were shot down.
A massive Ukrainian drone attack on the city began on March 14.
A total of 159 unmanned aerial vehicles were shot down while approaching the capital.
The drone attack also led to major airports restricting operations on Monday.
"Due to air safety concerns, the capital's Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports are currently accepting and dispatching aircraft in coordination with the relevant authorities," the Moskva 24 channel said.
It advised passengers to check their airports' online timetables for possible flight rescheduling.
Another busy airport, Vnukovo in south-west Moscow, also seemed to have been closed for air traffic as no aircraft were seen taking off or landing there.