Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the second night in a row, prompting the temporary closure of all airports in the Russian capital, according to a statement from the country’s military. The escalating drone activity comes just days before Moscow is set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to 10 to coincide with the anniversary, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the proposal as a hollow gesture. Zelenskyy insisted that any ceasef

Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the second night in a row, prompting the temporary closure of all airports in the Russian capital, according to a statement from the country’s military. The escalating drone activity comes just days before Moscow is set to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed a three-day ceasefire from May 8 to 10 to coincide with the anniversary, but Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dismissed the proposal as a hollow gesture. Zelenskyy insisted that any ceasefire should last at least 30 days, aligning with a U.S. proposal that the Kremlin has reportedly ignored. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that at least 19 drones approached the capital “from different directions” overnight. Russian security-linked social media outlets—Baza, Mash, and Shot—reported that one drone struck an apartment building near a major highway in the southern part of the city, shattering windows. No injuries were reported, according to both the media outlets and Sobyanin. “Emergency service specialists are working at the sites where the incidents occurred,” Sobyanin stated, adding that debris had fallen on a major highway, though he did not confirm the drone impact on residential buildings. Further south, in Russia’s southwestern Voronezh region, at least 18 drones were reported, according to the regional governor. In response to the drone threats, Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, temporarily suspended operations at all four airports serving Moscow. Several regional airports were also briefly closed. On Tuesday, Russian authorities claimed their air defense units intercepted and destroyed four Ukrainian drones on approach to the capital, with no reported injuries or structural damage. However, Russian officials regularly attribute any damage from drone strikes to falling debris, asserting that all drones are neutralized. Kyiv has not commented on the latest attack, though Ukrainian officials maintain that drone strikes target military and logistical infrastructure integral to Russia’s war campaign. They are described as retaliatory measures for Moscow’s continued attacks on Ukrainian territory, which include strikes on residential neighborhoods and energy infrastructure. In one of the largest drone attacks since the conflict began, 91 Ukrainian drones targeted the Moscow region in March, resulting in the deaths of three people, multiple fires, and disruptions to air and rail services. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that 337 drones were launched during that wave. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s military reported ongoing combat in Russia’s Kursk region over the past 24 hours, contradicting Russian claims that Ukrainian forces had been repelled from the area. A daily update posted on Ukraine’s official Telegram channel stated that Ukrainian units in the Kursk sector had withstood Russian assaults and faced artillery and aerial bombardments. In the United States, former Vice President Mike Pence criticized Donald Trump for suggesting that U.S. support for Ukraine could be withdrawn. Speaking on Monday, Pence stated: “If the last three years teaches us anything, it’s that Vladimir Putin doesn’t want peace; he wants Ukraine. And the fact that we are now nearly two months of following a ceasefire agreement that Ukraine has agreed to and Russia continues to delay and give excuses confirms that point. The wavering support the administration has shown over the last few months, I believe, has only emboldened Russia.”

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