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A viral video shows Antonov AN-124 flying low over Moscow amid Ukrainian drone attacks, airport closures, and rising civilian casualties as Volodymyr Zelenskyy seeks UN support.
The Russian plane flies over apartments in Moscow. (@kvistp/X)
A video of a Russian cargo plane flying low over high-rise apartment buildings in a Moscow suburb amid a series of Ukrainian drone attacks has gone viral.
BBC quoted Russian media as reporting that many warnings of drones approaching had caused the capital’s airports to halt flights and the closure of Sheremetyevo Airport, north of the city.
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The BBC verified videos showed that the aircraft was an Antonov AN-124 Ruslan cargo plane flying east away from Vnukovo International Airport, 6km (3.7 miles) to the west. The Antonov-124 is 226 feet long with a 240-foot wingspan and weighs 450 tons.
According to a report by the Express US, the scenes unfolded as swarms of Ukrainian kamikaze drones struck Moscow overnight and into the morning on Tuesday, causing havoc for flights.
“The pilot was deliberately flying at a low altitude due to Ukrainian UAVs in the sky,” reported Russian outlet SHOT regarding the Antonov-124 military transport. “Residents of New Moscow… heard a loud roar and were a little scared when they saw the plane over the houses.”
According to a report by the Associated Press, Russia claimed to have shot down three dozen Ukrainian drones that were heading towards Moscow.
Meanwhile in Moscow a giant military cargo plane is flying around between the buildings, probably trying to avoid their own air-defense thinking it’s a Ukrainian moped drone – All according to plan. pic.twitter.com/La3D5gVrYH— Kvist (@kvistp) September 22, 2025
Ukraine claimed that Russian missiles, drones and bombs killed at least two civilians, as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy persevered with efforts to bolster international support for his country at a UN gathering of world leaders on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the full-scale war, which began on February 24, 2022, continues to take a heavy toll on Ukrainian civilians.
Earlier this month, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights said that Ukrainian civilian casualties increased by 40% in the first eight months of this year compared to 2024, as Russia escalated its long-range missile and localized drone strikes.
A UN Human Rights Office report released Tuesday described the dire situation of thousands of civilians detained by Russia in areas of Ukraine it has captured.
Moscow, Russia
September 23, 2025, 22:33 IST
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