Ukrainian drones attacked Moscow for the second consecutive night temporarily halting flights at four airports, Russian officials said, as the city prepares to host a major military parade expected to be attended by world leaders including China’s Xi Jinping.

Ukraine attacked Moscow with drones for a third day on Wednesday forcing most of the Russian capital's airports to close just as Chinese President Xi Jinping was due to arrive to mark the victory over Nazi Germany in World War Two.

Widespread disruption is expected across Russia’s capital during the May 9 Victory Day parade after the Kremlin decided to shut down the city’s internet and SMS services for several hours. The decision to shut down the internet comes as a precautionary measure after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy made veiled threats to attack the parade