Aside from the inconvenience to travelers, the disruptions demonstrate how real the vulnerabilities within Russia’s internal air defense are—and create psychological and economic pressure on civilian infrastructure.
Ukraine has continued its effective use of drone strikes against Russian targets. On the night of June 10, Ukraine launched a series of drone strikes targeting Russian air infrastructure—leading to a significant disruption in air travel across the country.
The drone strikes are part of a Ukrainian strategic pattern, in which drone operations target Russian military and logistical infrastructure deep within Russian territory. By using drones, the Ukrainians have been able to preserve precious human capital, and conduct precision strikes with a degree of operational surprise that has so far stymied Russia’s air defense capabilities.
Widespread Disruptions Following Ukraine’s Drone Attack
Each of Moscow’s three main airports—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo—were forced to temporarily suspend operations due to incoming drone threats. Drones were either intercepted near these regions or posed a potential danger to civil aviation traffic. As a precaution, Russian authorities chose to reroute or ground flights as a precaution, causing major disruptions to both domestic and international travel routes.
These disruptions were not confined to Moscow, by far Russia’s largest city. Similar disruptions also affected St. Petersburg and the surrounding oblasts, including Tatarstan and Leningrad Oblast—both of which experienced drone strikes or threats.
The disruptions extended beyond Russia’s most important cities, too. Air traffic delays and cancellations were reported across central and western Russia, including Kaluga, Bryansk, Kursk, and Belgorod. Travelers were subjected to delays, missed connections, and cancellations. Flight tracking data showed that Russian air traffic suffered from large-scale airspace deviations around the affected zones. Aside from the inconvenience to travelers, the disruptions demonstrate how real the vulnerabilities within Russia’s internal air defense are—and create psychological and economic pressure on civilian infrastructure.
Russia Intercepted Some Ukrainian Drones—but Not Enough
The Russian Ministry of Defense has claimed to have intercepted 102 Ukrainian drones overnight, using a variety of anti-aircraft systems. However, the volume and spread of attacks overwhelmed some systems, forcing authorities to ground flights as a safety precaution.
The drone swarming of civilian targets within Russia appears to represent a shift in Ukrainian military doctrine. Previously, Ukraine had targeted strictly military targets inside Russia. However, in recent weeks, civilian economic and logistical targets now appear to be in play—though it appears Kyiv has largely continued to refrain from intentionally targeting Russian civilians.
The Ukrainians used a variety of drones in the attack. The most prominent of these was its “Dragon Drone,” an incendiary unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that drops molten thermite on military targets. The Dragon was created as a joint-project between the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense and private manufacturers. It also used the “Peklo,” a turbojet-powered loitering munition capable of Mach 0.57 speeds and a range of 700 km; the “Liutyi” (AN-196), roughly analogous to Russia’s Iranian-made “Shahed” drone, which delivers a 50-75-kg payload across a range of up to 2,000 kilometers; the “Bober” (UJ-26), a long-range loitering munition that delivers a KZ-6 shaped charge; and the “Mugin,” a commercially available drone that has been adapted for military use.
Between the varied drone options available to the Ukrainians, and the new-found willingness to attack targets deep within Russian territory, expect the war’s aggregate toll to continue rising.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / CatwalkPhotos.
