Ukrainian drone strikes disrupt Moscow airports, Russia strikes Ukraine after Kiev

Major Ukrainian drone attacks on Russia triggered widespread disruption at Moscow’s main airports on Monday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded amid mass flight cancellations and delays, according to Russian media reports.

Footage shared by Russian outlets showed travelers sleeping on the floors of Sheremetyevo Airport—Russia’s busiest in terms of passenger traffic—while long queues snaked through terminals.

The Russian defense ministry claimed it intercepted 117 drones overnight, including 30 in the Moscow region. This follows a similar barrage the previous day, in which 172 drones were reportedly downed, 30 of them also over Moscow.

In response, Russia’s civil aviation agency, Rosaviatsiya, temporarily restricted air traffic at major Moscow airports—Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovskiy. Flight disruptions left thousands stuck in Russia’s Far East as domestic air connections from European Russia were severed. To alleviate the strain, additional trains were deployed to transport passengers from St. Petersburg back to the capital.

The Moscow metropolitan area, home to more than 21.5 million people, has come under increasing drone attacks in recent days. 

On Monday, Russia retaliated by launching a wave of drones and missiles at Ukraine, hitting residential areas and a kindergarten in Kyiv. The strikes came just days after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky proposed renewed peace talks. Moscow has not officially responded to the offer or to a recent ultimatum from U.S. President Donald Trump, demanding progress toward a peace agreement or the imposition of further sanctions.

President Zelensky reported that two people were killed and at least 15 others injured, including a 12-year-old child. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, visiting Kyiv during the aftermath, witnessed rescue operations as emergency crews combed through rubble.

Zelensky denounced the attacks as an “assault on humanity,” as parts of Kyiv burned—including a supermarket, several apartment buildings, and a nursery—in six districts. An AFP journalist reported widespread structural damage, shattered glass, and debris scattered across multiple neighborhoods.

Ukraine’s air force stated that Russia launched a total of 450 drones and missiles during the assault, with strikes reaching as far as Ivano-Frankivsk in the west and the eastern regions of Kharkiv and Sumy.

Meanwhile, Russia’s travel disruptions, which began over the weekend, persisted into Monday as Kyiv intensified its drone campaign against Moscow. Vnukovo Airport, a key hub for government officials, was forced to halt operations temporarily.

In Kyiv, the entrance to Lukyanivska metro station—used as a bomb shelter—was also damaged. Minister Barrot, visiting the site, condemned the targeting of civilian shelters. “Even underground stations used for protection are no longer safe,” he said.

Barrot also referenced Zelensky’s weekend proposal for renewed talks, emphasizing Ukraine’s commitment to diplomacy despite ongoing attacks.

On July 18, the European Union approved its 18th round of sanctions against Moscow, targeting Russian banks and adjusting the oil price cap to increase economic pressure. Barrot said the measures aim to raise the cost of war for Russia and encourage President Vladimir Putin to return to the negotiating table.

Earlier this month, the Kremlin expressed conditional readiness to resume negotiations following Trump’s 50-day deadline for a peace agreement. However, at talks held last month, Russia presented a list of demands—such as further territorial concessions from Ukraine and a halt to Western military aid—that Kyiv swiftly rejected as nonviable, casting doubt on the possibility of meaningful progress.