Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow for the second consecutive night, forcing temporary flight suspensions at four major airports in the Russian capital just days before President Xi Jinping of China and other world leaders are due to attend Russia's Victory Day celebrations. The Russian defense ministry reported that more than 100 drones were intercepted across nearly a dozen regions overnight Tuesday, including 19 near Moscow alone.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin confirmed that debris from downed drones landed on a highway, though there were no reports of serious injuries. "An air threat is announced almost every night," warned Veniamin Kondratyev, governor of Krasnodar, who cited safety concerns in canceling local parades. Mikhail Razvozhaev, the Kremlin-backed leader in Crimea's Sevastopol, also suspended commemorations, following a directive from Russia's defense ministry.
Russia's civil aviation agency, Rosaviatsia, said that nine additional regional airports halted operations temporarily amid the assault, which struck areas both near Ukraine and deeper inside Russian territory. Kursk Governor Alexander Khinshtein reported two injuries in his region, and minor damage was noted in Voronezh. The information has not been independently verified.
The attacks come ahead of a planned May 9 Victory Day military parade in Moscow, a central event in President Vladimir Putin's annual calendar. The parade, held in Red Square, is designed to showcase Russian military might and rally patriotic sentiment by commemorating the Soviet Union's victory over Nazi Germany.
Among the foreign leaders expected to attend are China's Xi Jinping, described by Putin as "our main guest," as well as Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Vietnam's President To Lam, and Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić had accepted an invitation but may cancel due to illness. India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi pulled out amid heightened tensions with Pakistan.
Putin last week proposed a unilateral 72-hour ceasefire beginning May 8, citing "humanitarian grounds," though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed it as insufficient. Kyiv "cannot be responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation," Zelensky said in his nightly address Saturday. Ukraine won't be “playing games to create a pleasant atmosphere to allow for Putin's exit from isolation on 9 May."
The Kremlin criticized Zelensky's comments, calling them a "threat." At the White House, President Donald Trump called the short truce "a lot if you knew where we started from," but renewed pressure for a permanent ceasefire.
Fighting has escalated despite Moscow's truce proposal. Ukrainian officials say Russian forces have launched nearly 1,900 attacks since April 29, killing at least 43 civilians and injuring 329. Ukraine, in turn, has intensified its drone campaign, including a strike on a Russian Su-30 jet in the Black Sea using a seaborne drone.
On Saturday, Russian drones hit Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, injuring four people and setting fire to Barabashovo market, destroying or damaging around 100 stalls, according to regional governor Oleh Syniehubov. Seven more civilians were injured elsewhere in Kharkiv by Russian bombs and drones, he added.
