At least 60,000 passengers have their flights delayed or canceled at airports across Russia while Ukraine released large-scale drone attacks this week, according to a national tourism body.
Association of Tour Operator of Russia said in a statement On Wednesday, at least 350 flights were affected by the threat of drone strikes, including traveling overseas trips to destinations such as Istanbul and Dubai.
The affected facilities include four Moscow airports and air travel hubs in the regions of Sochi, Kazan, and Kirov, each organization. Its statement said that many of the flights were delayed overnight, while some flights governed to leave would have to wait up to seven hours.
The Russian independent Telegram News Channels posted pictures of large crowds gathering at airports and stranded passengers resting in removal areas.
“This delay will motivate subsequent delays according to the domino principle,” the Tourism Operator 'Association warned.
“Aviation infrastructure works at its limit,” he added.
It advised travelers across the country to prepare for further disruption by bringing cash to buy food and drink at airports and get a “small supply” of water to them.
The excitement came as Russia was set to hold an annual Victory Day parade on May 9 commemorating the role of the Soviet Union at the end of World War II – a major source of national pride that Moscow has promoted today.
Russia said 29 world leaders were expected to attend the parade, with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who arrived Wednesday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Kyiv warned the visit to leaders that it would not ensure their safety if they flew to Moscow, which has been harassing Ukrainian drone strikes for years.
“We cannot be responsible for what is happening in the territory of the Russian Federation,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in reports on Saturday.
The week leading to Russia's Victory Day Parade has seen the launch of Ukraine a intensified series of drone strikes for three consecutive days.
It appears that they were ramping up in severity, with the Kremlin saying on Wednesday that it shot a 524 drone. The Business Insider may not be able to unite that figure, but if it is accurate, it will record one of the largest Ukraine drone attacks on Russia's territory.
Oleksandr Kovalenko, a famous Ukrainian military observer, wrote on his telegram channel Wednesday involved in the “most massive invasion of Ukrainian attack drones” since the entire war began. However, he also accused Russian reports of overplaying the number of drones launched by Ukraine.
Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin, wrote on his telegram channel whose Russian forces refused at least 14 drone attacks on the capital on Wednesday. Emergency services were sent to several locations where the lips collapsed, he added.
No casualties have been reported as a press time.
Past Ukrainian drone attacks caused Moscow's airports to close before, along with a wave of strikes in September that closed three of the four hubs of travel in the region.
Russia also regularly attacks Ukrainian cities, especially in ballistic missiles and Iranian-designed shahed exploding drones. Most recently -Kyiv reported that a mother and son were killed in a missile and drone attack Tuesday night.
