Ukrainian Drones Target Multiple Russian Regions, Temporarily Disrupt Flights at Sheremetyevo Airport

The Armed Forces of Ukraine launched an extensive overnight attack on multiple Russian regions early morning on Wednesday, Oct.30, according to Russia's Defense Ministry.  

In the Kursk region, Governor Alexei Smirnov reported that air defenses shot down five drones. The drones' wreckage landed in the town of Zheleznogorsk, causing a small fire on a building’s roof and some dry grass, which was quickly put out. No one was injured.

The Telegram channel Baza shared that one drone fell near a replica of the Eiffel Tower in a park, leading to fires that damaged nearby buildings. The channel Mash reported unconfirmed damage to a residential building’s facade, a playground, and several cars.

Seven drones were shot down in the Rostov region, according to Governor Vasily Golubev. There were no injuries or damage. Four drones were also intercepted over the Smolensk region, with no reports of injuries.

In the Bryansk and Orel regions, air defenses shot down three drones in each area, with no injuries or damage. The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed a total of 23 drones shot down across the Rostov, Kursk, Smolensk, Orel, Bryansk, and Belgorod regions.

Due to the drone activity, Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport briefly halted flights early in the morning, from 04:37 to 05:20, as a safety measure. No drone activity was reported in Moscow itself.

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The same night, in a separate incident, Russian drones launched yet another attack on Kyiv, injuring nine people early on Wednesday, Oct. 30, sparking a fire in a residential high-rise, and damaging a kindergarten building, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration (KMVA).

The city’s air raid alert lasted more than two hours, with Kyiv Post correspondents reporting explosions and flashes in the sky around 4 a.m.

According to the KMVA, this assault marks the nineteenth Russian air attack on Kyiv this month.

“Russian drones maintained their usual tactics, approaching the capital from multiple directions at varying altitudes. The enemy drones were detected and neutralized by air defense forces,” the report read.