Russia shoots down Ukrainian drone flying toward Moscow

Russia said it shot down a Ukrainian drone flying towards Moscow in the early hours of Monday in an incident that once again briefly disrupted flights over the capital.

Authorities have reported more than a dozen attempted drone attacks on Moscow within the past month, a number of which have forced temporary airport closures.

The drones appear to be probing Moscow's air defenses from different angles, with Monday's brought down in the Lyubertsy region to the southeast of the capital, according to the defense ministry.

State aviation agency Rosaviatsia said three airports temporarily restricted flights but later returned to normal operation.

Drone strikes on Moscow began in May of this year

Moscow reported the first drone attacks on the capital in early May, when two were fired at the Kremlin without causing damage. Since then they have become a frequent occurrence.

Most have been intercepted by Russian air defenses, but several have hit buildings in a business district of the capital.

Ukraine hardly ever takes responsibility for strikes on Russian territory, though officials have often expressed satisfaction over them.