Putin reeling as Ukraine launches huge blitz on Moscow while foreign leaders arrive

Strikes hit both Russia and Ukraine just before Russia’s big military celebration for Victory in Europe (VE) Day. Overnight, Ukraine launched powerful drone attacks on areas near Moscow, right as President Putin’s foreign guests were arriving for the big military parade on May 9. One major target was the Kubinka military airfield, located west of Moscow. This base is used for military aircraft that were set to participate in the Red Square flyover.

Kubinka is home to Russia’s MiG-29 and Su-27 fighter jets and also houses Putin’s elite aerobatic display team. It’s also believed to be a base for launching attacks on Ukraine. Another site near Shaikovka airfield—about 140 miles southwest of Moscow—caught fire. This airfield is important because it’s where Russia keeps some of its long-range nuclear bombers. NASA satellites even detected fires at both locations.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping was expected to attend the parade in Moscow. These attacks marked the third straight day of Ukrainian strikes around Moscow. The attacks caused major problems, especially for air travel. Moscow’s four main airports were shut down, flights were delayed or canceled, and travelers were left stranded. Some passengers from a flight coming from Dubai were forced to land in another city and told to stay in a hotel with no clear idea of when they could leave.

Vnukovo airport, used by President Putin and senior officials, experienced major delays with over 50 flights affected. Another airport, Sheremetyevo, had to cancel several flights because of drone threats. Across many parts of western Russia, the internet went down, possibly because officials were trying to jam signals to stop incoming drones.

Moscow’s mayor said they shot down 17 drones, although there were also reports of hits inside the city. That night was one of the most intense attacks Ukraine has launched during the entire war. In Saransk, a city over 300 miles southeast of Moscow, Ukraine struck two important defense factories. One of them, Optic Fibre Systems JSC, is the only place in Russia that makes fibre optics for military drones. Thick black smoke was seen rising from the plant. Another site nearby, possibly the KhimMash plant which produces parts for rockets and missiles, was also on fire.

Due to the attacks, all schools, universities, and kindergartens in Saransk were closed. The government also banned people from posting photos or videos of the aftermath—showing just how serious the situation was.

In another region, Tula, about 110 miles south of Moscow, two more military facilities were hit. One was a design center that develops high-tech weapons. The other, SPLAV, is a major producer of rocket systems and heavy weapons for the Russian army.

While Ukraine was targeting military sites, Russia continued attacking civilian areas in Ukraine. In Kyiv, Russia launched missiles that killed two people and injured eight others, including four children. In the Sumy region near the border, three people, including a child, were killed and 11 were injured, five of them children. Four people were also hurt in the city of Zaporizhzhia.

A Ukrainian war analyst commented that while Putin prepares to celebrate Victory Day, Russian drones are attacking people in their homes in Kyiv. He called it “madness,” criticizing how Russia promotes its World War II victory while carrying out new attacks that kill civilians.

President Putin plans to start a three-day ceasefire at midnight on Wednesday, but Ukraine rejected it and had earlier offered a full month-long ceasefire, which Russia turned down. The United States supported Ukraine’s request for a longer truce.

Internet outages were reported in several Russian cities and regions, including Moscow, St. Petersburg, and others like Tula and Kaluga. These disruptions appeared to be the result of the ongoing conflict and Russia’s refusal to agree to a ceasefire.

A pro-Russian military Telegram channel confirmed that the Kubinka airfield was targeted, claiming that Ukraine was trying to ruin Russia’s military parade by attacking key equipment and personnel.

As many as 29 foreign leaders, mostly from countries with authoritarian governments, were expected to attend the Victory Day event. China’s Xi Jinping was the most prominent among them. It’s still unclear if the drone attacks delayed any of their travel plans. Footage showed Venezuela’s leader Nicolás Maduro arriving in Moscow, while Serbia’s president was not allowed to fly over Lithuania and Latvia on his way to Russia.

Meanwhile, far from Moscow in eastern Russia, a massive explosion hit a coal processing plant in Neryungri. Four people were injured. Authorities haven’t yet explained what caused the blast.