60,000 people were stuck in Russia's airports as Ukraine launched a massive drone attack, Russian tourism body says

At slightest 60,000 passengers had their flights delayed oregon canceled astatine airports crossed Russia arsenic Ukraine unleashed large-scale drone attacks this week, according to a nationalist tourism body.

Russia's relation of circuit operators said successful a statement connected Wednesday that astatine slightest 350 flights were affected by the menace of drone strikes, including trips retired of the state to destinations specified arsenic Istanbul and Dubai.

The affected facilities included Moscow's 4 airports and aerial question hubs successful the regions of Sochi, Kazan, and Kirov, per the association. Its connection said galore of the flights were delayed overnight, portion immoderate flights that did negociate to depart had to hold up to 7 hours.

Russian autarkic Telegram quality channels posted photos of ample crowds gathering successful airports and stranded passengers resting successful departure hallway areas.

"This hold volition provoke consequent delays according to the domino principle," the tourism operators' relation warned.

"The aviation infrastructure is moving astatine its limit," it added.

It advised travelers crossed the state to hole for further disruption by bringing currency to bargain nutrient and portion astatine airports and taking a "small supply" of h2o with them.

The chaos comes arsenic Russia is acceptable to clasp an yearly Victory Day parade connected May 9 that commemorates the Soviet Union's relation successful ending World War II — a large root of nationalist pridefulness promoted by Moscow nowadays.

Russia says it's expecting 29 satellite leaders to be the parade, including Chinese person Xi Jinping, who arrived connected Wednesday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Kyiv has warned visiting leaders that it can't warrant their information if they alert into Moscow, which has been harassed by Ukrainian drone strikes for years.

"We cannot beryllium held liable for what happens connected the territory of the Russian Federation," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told reports connected Saturday.

The week starring up to Russia's Victory Day parade has seen Ukraine motorboat an intensified bid of drone strikes implicit 3 consecutive days.

They look to beryllium ramping up successful severity, with the Kremlin saying connected Wednesday that it changeable down 524 drones. Business Insider couldn't independently verify that figure, but if accurate, it would grounds 1 of Ukraine's largest drone attacks connected Russian territory.

Oleksandr Kovalenko, a fashionable Ukrainian subject observer, wrote connected his Telegram transmission that Wednesday progressive the "most monolithic raid of Ukrainian onslaught drones" since the full-scale warfare began. However, helium besides accused Russian reports of overplaying the fig of drones launched by Ukraine.

Moscow's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, wrote successful his Telegram transmission that Russian forces had repelled astatine slightest 14 drone attacks connected the superior connected Wednesday. Emergency services were dispatched to respective locations wherever debris had fallen, helium added.

No casualties were reported arsenic of property time.

Previous Ukrainian drone attacks person caused Moscow's airports to adjacent before, including a question of strikes successful September that unopen 3 of the region's 4 aerial question hubs.

Russia besides regularly attacks Ukrainian cities, chiefly with ballistic missiles and Iranian-designed Shahed exploding drones. Most recently, Kyiv reported that a parent and lad were killed during a rocket and drone onslaught connected Tuesday evening.