Moscow shot down nearly 60 drones in the early hours of Monday and briefly suspended flights at its airports, according to Russian authorities. The attack came just days after Ukraine struck the city's oil refinery again. Meanwhile, Ukrainian officials reported that Russian drone and missile attacks killed at least five people, including three members of the same family in the northern Sumy region, and hit civilian merchant vessels, killing an Egyptian crew member.
Drone attacks on Moscow
Nearly 60 drones headed for Moscow were downed, Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said on Telegram. Emergency services were dispatched to the areas where drones were downed, but no further details were provided. The airports of Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovskiy suspended flights temporarily before resuming operations, according to the aviation watchdog.
In total, Russian defense systems downed 301 drones overnight, including those in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine, local newswires reported, citing the defense ministry. The latest attacks follow a major drone strike on Moscow's sole oil refinery last week, one of the largest air attacks on the city since the full-scale invasion began in 2022.
Casualties in Ukraine
In Ukraine's Sumy region, a drone attack early Monday killed a 13-year-old boy, his 36-year-old father, and his 73-year-old grandmother, regional prosecutors said. The boy's mother and two siblings were injured. In the southeastern city of Zaporizhzhia, a woman was killed and three others injured in a drone attack, according to local governor Ivan Fedorov on Telegram.
Russia also struck the southern Odesa region with an Iskander ballistic missile on Sunday evening, killing one person and injuring three, regional governor Oleh Kiper said on Telegram. The strike hit an agricultural facility, causing vehicles and fuel storage tanks to catch fire.
Crimea cancels events, restricts fuel
In Sevastopol, Crimea, all open-air public events were canceled on Monday and street lights were switched off, Governor Mikhail Razvozhayev said, urging residents to curb electricity usage. Crimea, a popular tourist destination for Russians, has suspended fuel sales to the public and businesses, restricting supplies to government agencies responsible for essential services and security. This follows Ukraine's drone attacks on supply routes and energy facilities, leading to a fuel crisis.
Three vessels under Russian drone attack
Russian drones hit a Turkish dry cargo vessel, the Victress, sailing under the Panamanian flag, Ukraine's navy reported. Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Kuleba said a 58-year-old Egyptian cook was killed, and eight other crew members, including Turkish and Indian nationals, had to evacuate on a lifeboat. The vessel sustained significant damage. The operator of the Victress, Turkey's Rana Denizcilik, could not be immediately reached for comment.
Kuleba also said vessels operating under the flags of Palau and Belize came under attack overnight, but no one was hurt and the vessels resumed their journey. Russia has repeatedly targeted Ukraine's maritime export routes, striking vessels and ports vital to foreign trade and the wartime economy.
