Russia says it intercepted about 300 Ukrainian drones as Moscow airports briefly suspend operations

Russia said it intercepted about 300 Ukrainian drones across the country overnight, including nearly 60 heading towards Moscow, in one of the largest reported cross-border drone attacks of the war. The capital's airports briefly suspended operations during the attack, according to the report. At the same time, a Russian drone strike killed three members of one family, including a 13-year-old boy, in Ukraine's northern Sumy region.

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The figures were given by Russian authorities, who said the drones were downed in multiple parts of the country. The Moscow-related disruption was temporary, but it affected airport operations at a time when the city has repeatedly faced drone alerts linked to the war. In Ukraine, regional prosecutors in Sumy said the Russian strike hit a family, underscoring the continuing civilian toll from aerial attacks.

The incident adds to a pattern of intensified drone warfare between the two countries. Ukraine's president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said in an interview that Ukraine's defence industry and armed forces had begun the process of "bringing the war back to Russia". He said Ukraine would strike back every day and that its response would grow stronger with each passing day.

His comments reflect a broader shift in the conflict, in which long-range drones have become a central tool for both sides. The attacks also carry wider significance beyond the immediate battlefield. Disruption near Moscow highlights the pressure Ukraine is able to place on Russian infrastructure and transport, while the deaths in Sumy show the continuing vulnerability of civilians in border regions.

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The exchange comes as European leaders have been discussing the momentum of the war, with cross-border strikes increasingly shaping the conflict's political and military dynamics. Drone attacks have become a defining feature of the war since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, with both sides using unmanned aircraft to strike military and strategic targets. Moscow has previously reported temporary airport closures during drone incidents, while Ukrainian regions near the border have regularly faced Russian aerial attacks.

The latest episode fits into that wider pattern, but the scale of the reported Russian interception and the fatal strike in Sumy make it particularly significant. What remains unclear is the full extent of damage from the overnight attacks and whether any drones reached their intended targets. It is also not clear how many airports were affected in Moscow or how long the suspensions lasted.

Further official statements from both sides are likely to follow as authorities assess the aftermath and the military exchange continues.

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