Moscow region hit by explosions and fires amid large-scale drone attack

According to preliminary information, the blaze broke out near the airport’s third runway. The exact source of the fire remains unclear, the outlet said.

Sheremetyevo’s press service claimed the incident involved debris from a downed drone that had fallen “at a safe distance from passenger service areas and aircraft operations.”

The airport temporarily imposed restrictions on arrivals and departures, with more than 200 flights reportedly delayed or canceled.

The restrictions have since been lifted.

Russia’s Defense Ministry claimed that air defense systems intercepted and destroyed 556 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions overnight. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin separately stated that more than 120 drones were allegedly shot down over the Moscow region.

At the same time, videos circulating online appeared to show fires in parts of Moscow Oblast.

Reports also emerged of a fire in Zelenograd following either a drone strike or air defense activity. Explosions were additionally reported in Khimki, Durikino, Lobnya and Naro-Fominsk in the Moscow region.

Footage purportedly showing the flight of an attack drone has also been published online.

On May 8, Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defenses had shot down at least 20 drones heading toward Moscow overnight.

At the time, Russian authorities reported that more than 450 flights had been delayed or canceled at Moscow airports due to what officials described as “Ukrainian drone attacks.”