Drone Attacks Disrupt Air Travel in Russia, Injure Civilians

Kyiv secures deals to boost drone production amid ongoing conflict.

Widespread drone attacks by both Russia and Ukraine intensified over the weekend, causing major disruptions to Russian air travel and resulting in civilian injuries as **Volodymyr Zelenskyy** looks to scale up Kyiv’s drone production following new agreements with Western allies.

Flight Chaos in Russia

Hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled at key Russian international hubs, including airports in **Moscow** and **St. Petersburg**, due to Ukrainian drone strikes, according to the Russian Transport Ministry. Social media images showed large crowds stranded in terminals.

Airports impacted include **Moscow’s** Sheremetyevo and **St. Petersburg’s** Pulkovo, in addition to other airports across western and central Russia, demonstrating the widespread impact of the aerial assaults.

The Russian Defense Ministry claimed its air defenses downed 120 Ukrainian drones during the night and an additional 39 by early Sunday afternoon. Officials did not specify the total number of drones launched or the extent of damage inflicted.

According to **Vyacheslav Gladkov**, the governor, two civilians were injured in Russia’s **Belgorod** region near the Ukrainian border because of drone activity early Sunday.

Kyiv Targeted After Strikes on Russia

The Ukrainian attacks followed a large Russian drone and missile assault on **Kyiv** that killed at least two civilians and wounded dozens more, according to Ukrainian officials. It was described as the largest strike since the full-scale invasion began. Amidst the barrages, Russia has intensified efforts to advance along the 620-mile front line, where Ukrainian forces face significant strain.

According to the Ukrainian air force, Russia launched 550 drones and missiles into Ukraine during that overnight attack.

Officials reported that three civilians in **Kyiv** and at least two in **Kharkiv**, Ukraine’s second-largest city, sustained injuries in large-scale Russian drone attacks this Sunday. In central Ukraine, a Russian attack with Shahed drones targeted port infrastructure in **Mykolaiv**, as reported by local Gov. **Vitaliy Kim**, who noted damage to warehouses and the port’s power grid, but no casualties.

Later that day, a Russian glide bomb and drone strike on the front-line town of **Kostyantynivka** in eastern Ukraine killed four civilians and injured one. A married couple, 39 and 40 years of age, were killed when a drone struck their car, the prosecutor’s office stated.

Ukraine Boosts Drone Arsenal

**Zelenskyy** announced that Ukraine has secured agreements with European partners and a leading U.S. defense company to ramp up drone production. Kyiv is set to receive “hundreds of thousands” more drones this year.

In his nightly address, **Zelenskyy** mentioned a co-production agreement with Denmark for drones and other weapons, though he did not identify the U.S. company.

These developments come after the U.S. paused some military aid shipments to Ukraine. The European Union is now accelerating weapon production to compensate for dwindling supplies, aiming to produce one million artillery shells per year (European Parliament News 2024). **Zelenskyy** acknowledged the need to expand Ukraine’s domestic arms industry, but cautioned that scaling up production will take time.

Previously, Ukraine has successfully deployed domestically produced drones against high-value military targets inside Russia.

Faced with troop shortages and a need to bolster defenses, Ukraine’s army has increasingly relied on drones. Despite Russia’s intensified offensives this summer, analysts suggest the front lines remain stable.

On Friday, **Zelenskyy** characterized his phone call with U.S. President **Donald Trump** as “very important and productive,” citing discussions of joint drone production and U.S.-led efforts to end the war.

**Trump**, speaking to reporters on Sunday, described the call as “good” and noted that **Zelenskyy** has “been hit very hard, as I said he would. He’s been hit very hard.”