
Passengers and staff were forced to leave terminals while Russia and Ukraine carried out a prisoner exchange.
AI-generated summary
Ukraine has been waging a defensive battle against the Russian war of aggression for over four years. Drone attacks on Russian airports and oil infrastructure are part of the Ukrainian strategy.
Russia's largest airport, Sheremetyevo, was evacuated and closed for hours. According to reports, passengers and employees were brought to safety due to a drone alarm. Several travelers were also taken off planes for this.
According to the airport, access to the security area of all terminals was restricted during the evacuation. The drone alarm has now been lifted and the passengers are leaving the shelters, it was said in the afternoon.
Because of Ukrainian drone attacks, there have been repeated restrictions at Russian airports for a long time. However, the problems have been increasing for weeks: planes are turning back on the way to Moscow or landing at other airports in Russia, and passengers are temporarily stranded.
Russia has waged a brutal war of aggression in Ukraine for more than four and a half years. Ukraine regularly attacks targets in the Russian hinterland as part of its defensive campaign.
Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners
On Friday it was announced that both countries exchanged 270 prisoners of war each. “270 of our people are at home,” wrote Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj on Platform X. According to him, those released included soldiers from the armed forces, the National Guard and other units, as well as nine civilians.
As usual, the exchange took place at a border crossing between Belarus and Ukraine. The Ministry of Defense in Moscow announced that 270 Russian soldiers had been received. They should receive medical and psychological care in Russia.
The exchange of prisoners and the return of dead soldiers is one of the few working threads of conversation between the warring parties.
Ukraine is increasingly relying on drones in its defensive war against Russia. They are sent not only to Russian airports, but also to refineries and oil ports. The result: a massive gasoline and kerosene crisis.

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