Ukraine launched a drone attack on Moscow on Monday, forcing the closure of most airports in the Russian capital as Chinese President Xi Jinping was expected to arrive later for a four-day visit, Reuters reported. It was the third consecutive day that Kiev has carried out such attacks on the Russian capital, BTA reported.
Xi will hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday and join other world leaders in Moscow's Red Square on Friday to watch a military parade marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. Moscow celebrates May 9 as Victory Day of the Soviet Union and its allies over Nazi Germany.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said earlier today that Russian air defenses had destroyed at least 14 Ukrainian drones between 10 p.m. last night and this morning. Russian emergency services teams were at the scene of the drone debris.
The Russian capital's main airports were closed for most of the night, and Russia's national airline Aeroflot said it was making changes to its flight schedules to cope with the disruption.
The Kremlin said 29 world leaders, including Xi, were expected to attend the May 9 celebrations. The military parade on Red Square in Moscow is expected to feature servicemen from 13 countries, including China.