Russia and Ukraine traded hundreds of drone strikes on Sunday, causing flight disruptions in Moscow and St. Petersburg airports, after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced deals with Western partners to boost drone production.
Ukrainian drones hit Russian air travel, delaying or canceling hundreds of flights at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg’s main Pulkovo airports. Russia’s Defense Ministry shot down 159 Ukrainian drones before 2 p.m. Moscow time (1100 GMT) on Sunday, but the exact number of drone strikes is unclear.
The Ukrainian attacks came days after a seven-hour barrage that killed at least two civilians in Kyiv and wounded dozens more. The barrages have coincided with Russian efforts to break through parts of the front line, where Ukrainian troops are under severe pressure.
Kyiv has signed deals with European allies and a leading U.S. defense company to step up drone production, aiming for “hundreds of thousands” more this year. Ukraine is seeking to compensate for its troop shortage by turning to drones to shore up defenses. The country has previously used homemade drones to hit high-value military targets deep inside Russia.
The conflict has seen both sides employing drones as a means of warfare, with analysts saying the front line isn’t about to collapse. U.S. President Donald Trump described a phone call with Zelenskyy as “good,” and discussed possible joint drone production alongside U.S-led efforts to end the war.
Source: https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-drones-ad1ab4ca595189e3c367f4fe7a1bfa97