Multiple Moscow airports suspended flights for several hours on Sunday, February 22, 2026, following reports of a drone attack on the Russian capital. Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, announced the restrictions, citing security concerns.
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin stated that the city’s defenses had intercepted 31 drones, according to Interfax news agency. The Russian Ministry of Defense reported downing nearly 300 Ukrainian drones across the country. Sobyanin, who has served as the Mayor of Moscow since 2010, previously held positions as Governor of Tyumen Oblast, Head of the Presidential Administration, and Deputy Prime Minister of Russia, according to Wikipedia.
The disruptions affected operations at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports. Flight schedules were significantly impacted, with numerous delays and cancellations reported.
Ukraine’s military claimed to have launched 50 rockets and 297 drones in a nighttime attack, alleging that Russian air defenses intercepted 33 rockets and 274 drones. Ukrainian officials stated the attack targeted energy infrastructure, specifically in the Kyiv region, the Black Sea port of Odessa, and central Ukraine. At least one person was injured in Kyiv, according to Regional Governor Mykola Kalashnyk, with damage reported across five city districts. Oleh Kiper, the Governor of Odessa, reported that fires broke out during the attack but were subsequently extinguished.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andriy Sybiha, writing on X, asserted that Russia was “undermining diplomacy” with these “terrorist large-scale attacks” and called for increased international sanctions against Moscow. No immediate statement was released by Russian authorities.
In the western Ukrainian city of Lviv, a series of explosions resulted in the death of one police officer and injuries to several other security personnel, according to local media reports. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi stated that 14 people were hospitalized following the explosions, describing the incident as a “terrorist attack.” The city is located near the Polish border, approximately 50 kilometers from the European Union.
The attacks arrive as Sergey Sobyanin approaches 16 years as Mayor of Moscow, a period marked by both modernization efforts and criticism regarding political freedoms, as reported by the Moskauer Deutsche Zeitung. He was initially appointed to the position in 2010 following the dismissal of Yury Luzhkov and subsequently re-elected in 2013, 2018, and 2023.
