Ukrainian Drone Attacks Disrupt 350 Flights, Affect 60,000 Passengers as Xi Jinping Arrives for May 9 Victory Day Parade

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Published May 7, 2025, 10:11 PM

Ukraine launched a series of drone attacks targeting Moscow over three consecutive nights, causing significant disruptions to air travel across Russia. The strikes led to the closure of several major airports in Moscow, including Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky, as well as airports in other cities such as Nizhny Novgorod, Kirov, Yaroslavl, Kazan, and St. Petersburg. The timing of the attacks coincided with the arrival of foreign leaders, including Chinese President Xi Jinping, for Russia's Victory Day parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. The drone strikes resulted in the cancellation or delay of at least 350 flights, affecting approximately 60,000 passengers. Some passengers were stranded on planes for hours, while others faced long waits in airport terminals. The disruptions were particularly acute at Moscow's airports, with Vnukovo experiencing 52% of flights disrupted and an average departure delay of 69 minutes, Domodedovo seeing 43% of flights disrupted with delays up to 325 minutes, and Sheremetyevo facing 51% disruptions with delays averaging 115 minutes. Xi Jinping began a four-day visit to Russia, arriving in Moscow shortly after Russian defenses shot down 500 drones in the previous 24 hours. The Serbian president's flight to Moscow was diverted to Baku due to the drone threat. Xi's visit, which includes attending the Victory Day parade on May 9, is expected to draw 29 world leaders, highlighting the geopolitical tensions amidst ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia. Xi's motorcade was greeted by members of the local Chinese community, and he wrote an article emphasizing the need to maintain the post-war international order. Discussions during his visit are expected to include the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline and the participation of China's People's Liberation Army honor guard in the parade. Russian Ka-52 helicopters were deployed to hunt Ukrainian drones over the Moscow region.

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BRICS News

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JUST IN: 🇷🇺🇨🇳 Russian people and members of the local Chinese community lined the streets of Moscow to greet Chinese President Xi Jinping. https://t.co/Ja8kRia1Jt

Reuters

@Reuters

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a pomp-filled visit. Meanwhile, Kyiv made its opposition to the visit clear after Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow shortly before Xi touched down https://t.co/lJzL1ewiqS https://t.co/jgGEsKdriL