AI summary
Summary of article:
Ukraine is suspected of using drones carrying weather balloons to disrupt Moscow, leading to flight bans at several Russian airports, affecting nearly a thousand flights, and energy and industrial facilities being targeted once again.
ukraine CorrectRussia capital of moscowFreelancer There is suspicion of a new strategy in the offensive. The Ukrainian military could use high-altitude weather balloons to carry suicide drones, use air flow to send the drones to a target area, and then release them to launch an attack. On October 31, several airports in Russia imposed flight restrictions due to drone threats. It was reported that nearly a thousand flights were delayed or canceled across the country, leaving a large number of passengers stranded.
The social media platform recently circulated photos of drones hanging below large balloons, according to reports from the British Sun, Daily Mail and Ukrainian military media. The pro-Russian military channel “New Military Column” claimed that it was a new device used by the Ukrainian army to attack Moscow, aimed at disrupting the capital’s air transportation.
Weather balloons could send drones to high altitudes, move around targets with airflow and then release them, reports suggest. This reduces the energy required for long-range flights and may also increase the difficulty of detection and interception by Russian air defense systems. However, the relevant images are not sufficient to confirm the actual combat effect, and the Ukrainian military has not publicly explained the method of attack.
Russian air transport has been significantly affected. It was reported that by midday on 31 October, 84 flights were delayed and 45 canceled at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport; At Vnukovo Airport, 119 flights were delayed and 10 flights were cancelled.
The flight changes affected Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg and Novosibirsk Airport in Siberia. Reports estimated that about a thousand flights across Russia were affected that day, and some passengers were stranded in terminals for long periods of time, complaining that flight information was unclear and that they even failed to receive food and drinking water on time.
The same day, a fire was reported near Sheremetyevo Airport, with black smoke billowing from the scene. Ukrainian military media reported that the fire broke out in woodland on the north side of the airport, close to aviation fuel facilities. This could be related to downed drones or Russian air defense operations. However, the cause of the fire has not been confirmed and there is no evidence that the oil depot was directly attacked.
The Russian Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted 2,690 Ukrainian drones over the past two and a half days, but the number has not been confirmed by independent evidence.
Moscow airports have been disrupted several times recently due to drone threats. Deutsche Welle reported that since October, major local airports have frequently implemented temporary flight restrictions, and some airports were unable to take off and land normally for several hours.
