Russian airports disrupted after ‘massive’ overnight drone exchange with Ukraine

(LONDON) —  Two Russian airports were put under flight restrictions early Saturday after authorities alleged an attack by Ukrainian drones, according to state-run news agencies.

The state-owned RIA Novosti agency reported that Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency announced a temporary block on landing and takeoff at Kazan International Airport and restrictions at Gagarin Airport in the city of Saratov — both in the southwest of the country.

Kazan is more than 600 miles from the closest Ukrainian-controlled territory. Saratov is more than 350 miles from Ukrainian-held territory.

The press service of the head of the Tatarstan region — of which Kazan is the largest city — said authorities recorded eight drones attacking the city, with no reported casualties, according to the state-run Tass news agency.

“One was at an industrial enterprise, one was over a river and six were at a residential area,” the press service said, as quoted by Tass.

Kazan Mayor Ilsur Metshin said that fires were reported in houses in three districts of the city and announced selective evacuation of schools where it was deemed necessary, Tass reported.

Tatarstan head Rustam Minnikhanov wrote on Telegram that the region was subjected to “a massive UAV attack.”

“All forces have been deployed,” Minnikhanov added. “The most important thing is not to panic. We have instructed the government to inform the population about evacuation sites in a timely manner.”

Russia’s Defense Ministry said it downed six Ukrainian drones over the city, which it said were “flying in three waves from different directions.” Three were shot down and three defeated using electronic warfare measures, the ministry said.

In total, the ministry said it shot down 19 Ukrainian drones over Russian territory.

Ukraine’s air force, meanwhile, said Russia launched 113 drones into Ukraine overnight, of which air defense teams shot down 57.

Another 56 went missing due to “active countermeasures” by Ukrainian defenders, the air force added.

Air raid sirens sounded across Ukraine on Saturday morning with the air force warning of a “threat of the use of ballistic weapons throughout the territory of Ukraine.”

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Saturday that the latest destroyed an oncology center in the southern city of Kherson and damaged apartment buildings in Kharkiv and Zaporizhzhia. Kyiv was targeted by ballistic missiles, while Sumy, Kryvyi Rih, the Dnipropetrovsk region and the Donetsk regions all reported shelling.

Seven people were reported injured in Zaporizhzhia and six in Kharkiv, officials said.

“This is the Russian terror we are countering,” Zelenskyy wrote on X. “I am grateful to our partners who continue to stand with Ukraine and increase pressure on Russia. Together, through our collective strength, we will secure a lasting peace.”

Saturday’s attacks followed a combined missile and drone strike on Kyiv early on Friday, which the Kyiv City Military Administration said caused significant damage to buildings in the city center and killed at least one person.

The strike also damaged several foreign embassies, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Heorhii Tkhiyi told journalists on Friday. Tkhiyi described the attack as “barbaric.”

ABC News’ Natalya Kushnir, Anastasia Bagaeva and Victoria Beaule contributed to this report.

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