Moscow under attack: Drones and balloons trigger air defenses and airport shutdowns
Drones and balloons attacked Moscow (photo: Getty Images)
Moscow and the surrounding region came under attack by drones and small balloons. Air defense systems were actively operating in the region, ASTRA reports.
Residents of many southern and eastern districts of the Russian capital heard loud explosions.
In particular, residents of Kapotnya, Kuzminki, Lyublino, Maryino, Tsaritsyno, Chertanovo, Orekhovo-Borisovo, Tekstilshchiki, and Nagatinsky Zaton reported air defense activity and explosions.
According to monitoring channels, both unmanned aerial vehicles and small balloons were used in the attack.
Drones and balloons target Moscow, forcing all four major airports to halt flights pic.twitter.com/GiG8PSPn6F
— RBC-Ukraine (@NewsUkraineRBC) October 9, 2026
Due to the aerial threat, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency introduced the special Carpet plan at all four major airports serving Moscow: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, and Sheremetyevo.
The measures involve a temporary ban on civilian aircraft departures and arrivals.
Russians have faced aerial threats in the Moscow region before. In particular, attack drones targeted the Moscow region overnight on October 6.
At that time, drones approached their targets from several directions, and the Moscow Oil Refinery in Kapotnya, one of Russia's largest oil refineries, came under attack.
In addition, during a massive drone raid on September 20, Russian authorities deliberately concealed the drone attack from civilians. Moscow residents were not warned of the danger through sirens or SMS alerts.
According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), this was done to avoid disrupting turnout in the elections.
