Massive drone attack hits Moscow, forcing closure of airports and rerouting of Uzbek planes

On May 6, Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on the Russian capital, Moscow, leading to the temporary closure of multiple airports and the redirection of several international flights, including those from Uzbekistan. The Russian Defense Ministry and various regional officials confirmed the developments, citing ongoing efforts to repel the assault.

According to Russia’s Defense Ministry, a total of 57 Ukrainian drones were destroyed over Russian territory throughout the day. The breakdown is as follows: 31 drones were shot down over the Bryansk region, 14 over the Kursk region, and 7 over the Orlov region. In the Moscow region alone, around 20 drones were intercepted between 1:00 and 2:00 a.m., with further drones destroyed later in the afternoon and evening.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed on his Telegram channel that the city’s air defense systems successfully neutralized multiple drones throughout the day. At 5:38  p.m.and 6:42 p.m., additional drones heading for the capital were shot down, followed by three more at 10:52 p.m..

Due to the ongoing aerial threat, airports in various Russian cities were temporarily shut down. According to Rosaviatsia (the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency), security-related suspensions affected airports in Samara, Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Tambov, and Yaroslavl. The three main airports in the Moscow region—Zhukovsky, Vnukovo, and Domodedovo—were also closed for certain periods. Restrictions were reinstated at Zhukovsky Airport at 9:19 p.m. and at Sochi Airport at 9:03 p.m..

As a result of the airspace closures, several Uzbekistan Airways flights were forced to divert to alternative airports. The affected flights include:

• HY9619 (Namangan – Moscow Vnukovo) – diverted to Ufa
• HY9671 (Tashkent – Nizhny Novgorod) – diverted to Ufa
• HY613 (Tashkent – Moscow Vnukovo) – diverted to St. Petersburg
• HY9627 (Fergana – Moscow Vnukovo) – diverted to St. Petersburg
• HY601 (Tashkent – Moscow Domodedovo) – diverted to St. Petersburg
• HY605 (Samarkand – Moscow Vnukovo) – diverted to St. Petersburg

This escalation in drone warfare comes amid ongoing hostilities between Russia and Ukraine. Earlier, at least one civilian was reported killed and 13 others injured following Russian shelling of various Ukrainian regions.