Ukrainian attack halts navigation at Moscow airports... Strong Russian response

In the early hours of June 8th, Russian authorities announced that a drone attack carried out by the Ukrainian army targeted the capital, Moscow, resulting in the closure of the main airports, Vnukovo and Domodedovo, to ensure air traffic safety. Sergei Sobyanin, the Mayor of Moscow, stated via the "Telegram" app that Russian air defense units destroyed 9 drones heading towards Moscow by 04:00 GMT, with emergency teams dispatched to the crash sites of the drones. The attack occurred overnight, with no reported material damage so far. In an official statement, the Russian Ministry of Defense confirmed that air defense systems destroyed 61 Ukrainian drones over several Russian provinces, including Bryansk, Belgorod, Kaluga, Tula, Oryol, Kursk, Crimea, as well as Moscow and its suburbs. On the Ukrainian side, Russian airstrikes on the town of Mykolaivka in the Dnipropetrovsk region in eastern Ukraine resulted in the death of at least one person, as announced by the head of the regional council, Mykola Lukashuk, via "Telegram." Lukashuk added that Russian attacks also targeted the neighboring Nikopol area, causing damage to power lines and four houses in the city. These developments come amidst a stalled prisoner exchange process scheduled this week between Russia and Ukraine, the only agreement resulting from direct talks held last week in Istanbul, more than three years after the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. In a related context, US officials told Reuters that Russia's response to the Ukrainian drone attack is not yet complete, expecting it to be comprehensive and multifaceted, possibly involving the use of missiles and attack drones in the coming days. One official mentioned that the timing of the Russian response has not been determined yet but will be "asymmetrical" compared to the Ukrainian attack on Russian fighters last week. It is worth noting that Russia launched an intense missile and drone attack on the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, on June 5th, targeting military sites and others linked to the army, described by the Russian Ministry of Defense as a response to what it deemed "terrorist acts" by Ukraine against Russia. However, US officials confirm that the full Russian response has not yet materialized. On the Ukrainian side, forces carried out a bold drone attack last week using 117 drones in an operation named "Spider Web," launched from inside Russian territory against Russian military bases. According to US estimates, around 20 Russian warplanes were hit in these attacks, while Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced the destruction of 10 aircraft. The Russian side denied the destruction of aircraft but confirmed the presence of damages being repaired, while Russian military analysts spoke of significant losses and damages, with about 12 aircraft, some capable of carrying nuclear weapons, affected. These drones used by Ukraine in the attack were smuggled over 18 months near Russian bases, delivering a strong symbolic blow to Moscow, keen on showcasing its nuclear strength throughout the conflict. In a phone call with US President Donald Trump, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that he would be forced to respond to the Ukrainian attack, as reported by Trump on social media.