Massive drone attack strikes Moscow region and disrupts major airports

Between the evening of Wednesday, October 21, and the early hours of Thursday, October 22, 2026, the Moscow region faced an unprecedented aerial assault. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, 630 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) were detected targeting the capital. Most of the drones were neutralized at a distance, though 163 were shot down as they approached the city. The attack resulted in two reported injuries in the outskirts of the Russian capital.

Following the massive drone activity, Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsiya suspended operations at Moscow’s major airports, including Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky. Sheremetyevo, the largest airport, requested that passengers relocate to emergency shelters after debris from a small Ukrainian drone fell on its grounds. The authorities implemented these measures as a standard security protocol during periods of heightened drone activity to ensure passenger safety, though the situation remains volatile with ongoing monitoring of regional airspace.