Russia says 60,000 air passengers stranded after Ukrainian drone attacks

At slightest 60,000 passengers person been stranded astatine airports crossed Russia due to the fact that of a monolithic Ukrainian drone attack, section officials say.

Russia's Association of circuit operators (Ator) says 350 flights person been affected since Tuesday evening successful Moscow, St Petersburg, Sochi and respective different cities.

The Russian defence ministry says 524 Ukrainian drones were destroyed successful the past 24 hours - a grounds fig if confirmed. No casualties were reported.

Ukraine says an overnight Russian drone and rocket onslaught killed 2 radical successful Kyiv.

The barrage of strikes came arsenic a self-declared Russian three-day ceasefire was acceptable to statesman connected Wednesday night, up of a World War Two triumph parade successful Moscow connected 9 May.

Kyiv has repeatedly rejected the truce thought arsenic "theatrical play", reiterating its telephone for an unconditional 30-day ceasefire, which is besides supported by Ukraine's allies successful Europe and the US.

Russia has issued a acceptable of pugnacious pre-conditions for immoderate imaginable colony - a determination described by Ukraine and galore European politicians arsenic an effort to prolong the warring and yet unit Kyiv to capitulate.

On Wednesday, US Vice-President JD Vance said "we deliberation they [Russians] are asking for excessively much", successful an evident hardening of his stance towards Moscow.

"It's precise important for the Russians and the Ukrainians to commencement talking to 1 another," Vance added.

He besides took a acold little strident code towards Europe than helium has successful caller months, saying "I bash inactive precise overmuch deliberation the US and Europe are connected the aforesaid team".

Three airports serving Moscow - Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo - suffered disruption, according to Russia's circuit operators association, which added that 110 flights had been cancelled successful the capital.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 19 drones had been changeable down adjacent the metropolis since Tuesday evening.

In St Petersburg, Russia's 2nd largest city, 55 flights were either cancelled oregon delayed.

At the city's Pulkovo airport, footage emerged of a queue of planes stuck connected the runway connected arrival. Passengers reportedly waited for hours to leave.

Airports astatine respective different cities including Sochi, Kazan, Kirov and Nizhnekamsk besides reported formation disruption.

Russia's aerial postulation problems came arsenic Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived successful Moscow for Friday's subject parade successful Red Square commemorating the 80th day of the triumph implicit Nazi Germany.

A level carrying Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to Moscow had to marque a little exigency halt successful Baku successful Azerbaijan, due to the fact that of drone attacks crossed Russia, according to section reports.

Vucic aboriginal resumed his flight, yet landing successful Moscow. Two Baltic republics, Lithuania and Latvia, had reportedly refused to let him support to transverse their airspace.

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, thought to beryllium the lone European Union person readying to attend, complained that Estonia's authorities had refused to let him to alert implicit its airspace, which helium said was highly disruptive to his schedule.

The authorities successful Tallinn said it had nary volition of supporting the Moscow parade and had stressed to EU colleagues that taking portion successful Russian "propaganda events should beryllium ruled out".

Russia says 27 satellite leaders are travelling to Moscow. Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro person already arrived.

A three-day ceasefire projected by Putin past month was owed to commencement astatine midnight Moscow clip connected Wednesday (21:00 GMT), to coincide with World War Two triumph commemorations crossed Russia.

Putin launched a full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February 2022, and Moscow presently controls astir 20% of Ukrainian territory, including the confederate Crimea peninsula illegally annexed successful 2014.

US Vice-President JD Vance told an assemblage successful Washington connected Wednesday that helium was not yet pessimistic that the Russians did not privation an extremity to the war.

"We would similar some the Russians and the Ukrainians to really hold connected immoderate basal guidelines for sitting down and talking to 1 another," helium said.

President Donald Trump's medication has been accused of trying to propulsion Ukraine into making achy concessions successful a bid to scope a ceasefire, portion exerting acold little unit connected Moscow.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called for a "significant summation successful unit connected Russia", aft an onslaught connected Kyiv killed a pistillate and her son.

Emergency services were deployed crossed Ukraine, including successful the Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Kherson and Dnipro regions.

Earlier this month, Zelensky warned that Ukraine could not warrant the information of anyone travelling to Moscow for the parade.

"We cannot beryllium held liable for what happens connected the territory of the Russian Federation," helium said.

He indicated the Kremlin mightiness organise provocations during the Victory Day commemorations successful Russia to discredit Ukraine.

Ukraine's overseas ministry has warned against the information of immoderate overseas troops, calling it "unacceptable" and helping Moscow to "whitewash its warfare crimes".

On the eve of President Xi's accomplishment successful Moscow, the Chinese person hailed the "resilient" narration betwixt China and Russia.

China has sent 102 soldiers - the largest overseas subject contingent among the 13 participating nations - to instrumentality portion successful Friday's yearly 9 May parade.

Victory Day celebrates Nazi Germany's 1945 surrender to the Soviet Union during World War Two, remembered arsenic "The Great Patriotic War" successful Russia.

It is Russia's astir important nationalist holiday, and Putin has repeatedly sought to gully parallels with the full-scale warfare helium launched against antiauthoritarian Ukraine.

His communicative has been rejected by Kyiv and Europe. "These radical are not liberators of Europe, they are occupiers and warfare criminals," Ukraine's overseas ministry said connected Tuesday.

Europe and Ukraine people Victory successful Europe Day connected Thursday.