Drone attacks on Moscow – Russia's capital closes two airports

The US government has imposed new sanctions against Russia, saying peace in Ukraine is nowhere in sight. Both countries exchanged drone attacks overnight. Moscow even had to close two of its four airports.

All events surrounding the war in Ukraine and security policy in Europe in the live ticker:

Russia announces the closure of two of its four airports in Moscow. Domodedovo and Zhukovsky had to suspend air traffic due to repeated drone attacks, according to the aviation authority Rosaviatsia. According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, air defense shot down 28 drones within five hours. There has been no confirmation from Ukraine.

Heavy fighting is raging around the city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine. "There is heavy fighting in the city, along the access roads to the city," said Volodymyr Zelenskyy in his evening video address. Supply is also difficult. Nevertheless, the fight against the occupiers continues: "We must continue to inflict as many losses on the Russians as possible."

The Ukrainian General Staff stated that Russian soldiers had entered the city, which had been heavily contested for months and was largely destroyed. The approximately 200 Russian soldiers had penetrated between the Ukrainian defense lines and established themselves in the city. Heavy fighting is now taking place in the city, with both sides also using combat drones.

According to analysts at the Institute for the Study of War, Russian units had previously captured the villages of Kozatske and Promin east of Pokrovsk and were making further territorial gains.

A minibus was attacked by a combat drone in eastern Ukraine. Ten passengers, including two children, were injured, some seriously, in the explosion near the city of Sumy, regional military administrator Oleh Hryhorov reported on Telegram. Two of the injured are in critical condition.

Two civilians were reportedly wounded in Ukrainian drone attacks in the Russian region of Bryansk. Regional Governor Alexander Bogomas said they were taken to hospital with injuries. According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, at least 26 Ukrainian drones were shot down over southwestern Russia on Sunday.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia used 101 drones against Ukraine overnight and until midday. Ninety of them were shot down or otherwise neutralized, the air force said. A total of five drone hits were recorded at four locations, and drone debris fell to the ground at five other locations.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk does not expect a lasting peace for Ukraine as long as Vladimir Putin remains in power. The conflict threatens to become a "permanent, eternal war" unless drastic changes are made in Russia. "The main question now is how many more victims we will see," the politician said in an interview with the Sunday Times.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy told him that his country was ready to fight for another two to three years, but at the same time he hoped the war would not last ten years. Tusk emphasized: "I have no doubt that Ukraine will survive as an independent state."

Russian President Vladimir Putin has announced the completion of tests of the innovative, nuclear-powered Burevestnik cruise missile. "The decisive tests have now been completed," Putin stated in a video of a meeting with military representatives released by the Kremlin on Sunday. The Kremlin chief also ordered the start of "preparations of the infrastructure for the deployment of these weapons in the Russian armed forces."

The Burevestnik (Russian for "petrel") cruise missiles are powered by nuclear energy. Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov stated that during a test last Tuesday, the weapon remained in the air for approximately 15 hours without interruption and covered a distance of approximately 14,000 kilometers. Putin spoke of an "unlimited range" and a "unique invention" that no one else in the world possesses, except Russia.

According to an agency report, Vladimir Putin visited a command post of his armed forces. There, he was briefed on the situation at the front by, among others, Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

According to the Defense Ministry in Moscow, Russian air defense shot down 82 Ukrainian drones overnight.

At least 14 people, including four children, were injured in a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital Kyiv overnight. Ukrainian air defenses were deployed, the Kyiv military administration reported on Telegram. Falling debris from downed drones damaged residential buildings in several districts.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko also reported on the attacks on Telegram. According to the report, two high-rise buildings were hit in a Russian airstrike on Kyiv.

Donald Trump has rejected further talks with Vladimir Putin for the time being as long as an agreement to end the war in Ukraine is not in sight. "I'm not going to waste my time," Trump told reporters on Saturday (local time) aboard the presidential plane "Air Force One" en route to Asia. "I need to know that we're going to reach an agreement (in the war in Ukraine)," Trump added.

A few days ago, the US President canceled a previously promised imminent meeting with Putin – and postponed it indefinitely. His administration also imposed new sanctions against Russia for the first time in Trump's second term. The reason given was Putin's unwillingness to end the war of aggression against Ukraine. "I've always had a great relationship with Vladimir Putin, but this was very disappointing," Trump said. "I thought this would have been resolved before peace in the Middle East."

Lithuania closed the airport in its capital, Vilnius, on Saturday due to the renewed incursion of weather balloons from neighboring Belarus. This was the fourth such incident this month, according to the Baltic country's National Crisis Center (NCMC). Air traffic was suspended until 2:00 a.m. (1:00 a.m. CEST) on Sunday. Lithuania stated that the balloons were being used to smuggle cigarettes.

The government accuses Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko of failing to stop this. In recent weeks, European air traffic has been repeatedly disrupted by the appearance of drones and other airspace violations, including at airports in Copenhagen, Munich, and the Baltic states.

That night, German Economics Minister Katherina Reiche also had to seek shelter in Kyiv. It was a distressing experience for her, but unfortunately, a sad part of everyday life for Ukrainians, she said at a press conference. "That night, it showed me once again very clearly that Russia's attacks on the Ukrainian population are aimed at wearing them down."

Reiche arrived on Friday with a business delegation for a multi-day visit. The CDU politician said the attacks on the electricity and heat supply just before the heating season are a threat. She promised the war-torn country assistance in rebuilding its destroyed energy infrastructure. Germany will not abandon the Ukrainians.

Following the airstrikes, Volodymyr Zelensky emphasized his country's need for improved air defense. Attacks like those that took place overnight increase the need for Patriot air defense systems, Zelensky wrote on X.

"It is precisely because of such attacks that we are paying particular attention to Patriot systems – to be able to protect our cities from this horror," Zelenskyy explained. It is crucial that partners with the appropriate capabilities implement what has been discussed in recent days. "America, Europe, and the G7 countries can help ensure that such attacks no longer threaten human lives."

Kyiv hopes to purchase 25 Patriot air defense systems from US companies to strengthen air defense, particularly in cities. Germany has already provided Ukraine with several systems from its Bundeswehr inventory and intends to support the country in purchasing additional Patriots .

At least four people were killed and about 20 others injured in Russian airstrikes overnight. At least two people were killed and seven injured in the eastern Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk. At least two people were killed and 12 others injured in nighttime attacks in the capital Kyiv.

According to the Ukrainian Air Force, Russia fired nine Iskander-M ballistic missiles and deployed 62 attack drones. Four ballistic missiles and 50 drones were shot down.

According to local reports, a dam in the Russian border region of Belgorod has been damaged by Ukrainian shelling. Repeated attacks on the dam could lead to flooding, regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov explained on Telegram. Residents of two neighboring villages have therefore been advised to leave their homes and temporarily seek shelter in emergency shelters. No comment was immediately available from Kyiv. Belgorod borders Ukraine and has been repeatedly targeted by Ukrainian armed forces.

The Ukrainian military says it has recaptured the town of Torske, a key defense force for the city of Lyman. Up to 100 Russian soldiers were killed during the assault, according to the General Staff in Kyiv. "There are also prisoners," the message, distributed via Telegram, reads. The Ukrainian flag has been re-raised in Torske. These reports have not yet been independently confirmed.

Torske is important because of its location on a hill on the banks of the Sherebets River. This river forms a natural barrier and hampers the advance of troops—for example, to the town of Lyman, just 13 kilometers to the west, and the urban area around Sloviansk and Kramatorsk beyond, which the Russian army has so far failed to conquer in the more than three and a half years of war.

Donald Trump is demanding support from China in dealing with Russia. "I want China to help us with Russia," he tells reporters aboard Air Force One. According to a US government official, Trump plans to discuss trade, export controls, and China's purchases of Russian oil exclusively at his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for next week. "There is no intention from the US side to discuss any other issues."

The Russian military has once again attacked targets in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv with ballistic missiles. At least six people were injured, Mayor Vitali Klitschko announced on Telegram. In addition, several fires broke out in the eastern part of the city of three million. According to unofficial information, thermal power plants located there were again the target of the attack. An air raid warning was also briefly issued across the country due to the possible use of a medium-range ballistic missile by Russia.

At a meeting of the so-called Coalition of the Willing in London, Volodymyr Zelensky called on the United States to extend its sanctions against Russian oil companies to the entire sector. Zelensky called Donald Trump's decision to impose sanctions on Russian oil companies a "major step." "We must put pressure not only on Rosneft and Lukoil, but on all Russian oil companies," Zelensky said. "We are also conducting our own pressure campaign with drones and missiles specifically targeting the Russian oil sector," he said during a press conference at the Foreign Ministry in London.