Russia says Ukraine launched a drone attack on Moscow days before the start of a ceasefire, ordered by Russian President Vladimir Putin to coincide with a World War Two parade.
Moscow’s four major airports shut for a few hours on Tuesday amid the barrage, authorities said. There were no casualties and Ukraine has not commented.
Moscow is due to hold a parade on 9 May to mark the victory of the Soviet Union and allies over Nazi Germany. This year is the 80th anniversary of the end of WW2 and will see world leaders, including China’s Xi Jinping, in Russia for the event.
Putin has called for a ceasefire from 8-10 May – something Ukraine has declined to commit to. Kyiv has called for a longer truce.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky has been pushing for a ceasefire of at least 30 days where there would be a halt to missile and drone strikes on civilian targets.
He has reportedly said his country cannot guarantee the safety of anyone travelling to Moscow this week.
“Our position is very simple for all countries traveling to Russia on May 9: We cannot be held responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation,” Zelensky was quoted as saying over the weekend by Ukrainian news agency Interfax.
He also warned that Russia could orchestrate provocations, including “arson, bombings and so on, only to blame us”.
The Kremlin had previously announced a 30-hour truce with Ukraine over Easter, where both sides reported a decrease in fighting, but accused each other of hundreds of violations.
Russian authorities said the Ukraine attack was the second in as many nights.
Moscow’s mayor said at least 19 Ukrainian drones had been intercepted “from different directions”. Sergei Sobyanin added that debris had landed on one of Moscow’s key highways.
The governors of other Russian cities, including Penza and Voronezh, also said they had been targeted.
Meanwhile Ukraine reported downing 54 drones launched overnight from Russia, and several strikes across the country including in Kyiv.
One person was killed in the Black Sea city of Odesa, while Kharkiv’s regional head, Oleh Syniehubov, said 11 people had been injured and the city’s central market had been destroyed in a fire.
Meanwhile, fighting continues in Russia’s Kursk region more than a week after Moscow said it had pushed Ukrainian troops out. Ukraine had denied that report and said its forces were still active there.
A total of 200 combat engagements occurred between Ukrainian and Russian troops on Monday, Ukrainian military authorities said.
Ukraine pushed into the Russian border region in a surprise incursion last August, but has gained little ground.