Ukrainian drone attack disrupts Moscow airports as Xi visits

7/5/2025 14:08

Ukraine attacked Moscow with drones for a third day on Wednesday forcing most of the Russian capital's airports to close just as Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to arrive to mark the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.



Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that Russian air defence units destroyed at least 14 Ukrainian drones from 10 p.m. on Tuesday (1900 GMT) until Wednesday morning.



Moscow's key airports remained out of operation for most of the night, and Russian national carrier Aeroflot said it was reordering timetables to cope with the disruption.



Twenty-nine world leaders, including Xi, are expected to attend World War Two Victory Day commemorations in Moscow in the coming days, according to the Kremlin. Military units from 13 countries, including China, will take part in the parade.



Xi is due to start a four-day visit to Russia on Wednesday, giving President Vladimir Putin an important diplomatic boost at a time when the Russian leader is keen to show his country is not isolated on the world stage.