Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed on social media that at least 19 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed before they could enter the city, with attacks coming “from different directions.”
Amid the ongoing war, Russia stated that Ukraine launched a second consecutive overnight drone assault targeting its capital, Moscow. According to the Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsia, all four of Moscow’s major airports were temporarily shut down for several hours as a precautionary measure, BBC reported. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin confirmed on social media that at least 19 Ukrainian drones were intercepted and destroyed before they could enter the city, with attacks coming “from different directions.” While no casualties were reported, fragments from the downed drones reportedly fell on a major highway leading into the capital, causing momentary disruption.
This comes days after a Russian drone strike on Ukraine’s Kharkiv city injured at least 47 people, as per local officials. Kharkiv Mayor Ihor Terekhov said drones hit 12 locations in the city on May 2. Residential buildings, civilian infrastructure and vehicles were damaged in the assault, according to Kharkiv regional Governor Oleh Syniehubov.
Following the attack on Kharkiv, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had urged stronger, more decisive support from the country’s allies. “While the world hesitates with decisions, nearly every night in Ukraine turns into a nightmare, costing lives. Ukraine needs strengthened air defence. Strong and real decisions are needed from our partners — the United States, Europe, all our partners who seek peace,” he wrote on X.
There will be no need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine: Putin
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine had not arisen and that he hopes it will not. In a preview of an upcoming interview with Russian state television, published on Telegram, Putin said Russia has the strength and the means to bring the conflict in Ukraine to a “logical conclusion.” Responding to a question about Ukrainian strikes on Russian territory, Putin said, “There has been no need to use those (nuclear) weapons and I hope they will not be required…We have enough strength and means to bring what was started in 2022 to a logical conclusion with the outcome Russia requires,” he added.
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