Russian air defence forces downed 12 Ukrainian drones flying towards Moscow, the city's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, said on Wednesday. Sobyanin, in a series of posts over four hours on the Telegram messaging app,

Russian air defenses repelled an attack by nine drones close to the Russian capital, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in the early hours of Wednesday. In the evening, Sobyanin reported thwarting 15 more drones targeting Moscow, as flights were restricted in Moscow's airports once again.

Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow for the second consecutive night temporarily halting flights at four airports, Russian officials said, as the city prepares to host a major military parade expected to be attended by world leaders including China’s Xi Jinping.