Moscow Drone Attack Disrupts Air Traffic, Hundreds of Flights Hit
Moscow’s air travel network faced major disruption on Sunday after temporary flight restrictions were imposed at the Russian capital’s four major airports during a large-scale drone attack. More than 400 flights were delayed at Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky as authorities temporarily halted or limited aircraft arrivals and departures. Several flights were also cancelled, while aircraft headed for Moscow were diverted to other airports.
Although the restrictions were later removed, the disruption continued as airlines operated under revised schedules and worked to clear the backlog.
- Sheremetyevo Records Hundreds of Delays
- Sheremetyevo was among the worst affected airports.
Data from the airport’s online flight board, cited by RBC, showed 121 arriving flights and 126 departing flights delayed. Around 35 flights were cancelled. Several aircraft scheduled to land at Sheremetyevo were redirected to airports in Nizhny Novgorod, Kazan, Cheboksary and St Petersburg.
The airport later said aircraft were again being received and dispatched, but operations were continuing according to an updated schedule.
Other Moscow Airports Also Hit
Vnukovo reported 69 delayed arrivals and 60 delayed departures, with 11 flights cancelled. More than 10 aircraft heading to the airport were diverted to alternative airfields while the restrictions remained in place. At Domodedovo, 27 incoming flights were delayed and one was cancelled.
Zhukovsky reported delays involving four arriving and three departing flights, while two flights were cancelled. Airlines such as Aeroflot and Pobeda revised their schedules in response to the disruption and asked passengers to check the latest status of their flights.
Flight Restrictions Lifted
Russian aviation authorities subsequently lifted the temporary restrictions at all four Moscow airports. Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo resumed aircraft arrivals and departures, although the impact of the earlier restrictions remained visible in flight schedules.
The measures had been introduced as a security precaution while authorities responded to the drone attack over Moscow and the surrounding region.
Moscow Reports Large Drone Assault
The aviation disruption coincided with what Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin described as the largest drone attack on the capital. Sobyanin said Russian air defences had intercepted more than 1,600 drones across defensive lines since Saturday, including approximately 450 that were heading towards Moscow.
Authorities reported that several drones reached the capital, with damage reported at an oil refinery and an apartment building. The wider Moscow region also reported fatalities and damage to residential properties. Reuters reported that three people were killed in the region and that an oil refinery in Moscow was damaged.
Russia blamed Ukraine for the attack, while Ukraine had not publicly commented on the allegation at the time of the Reuters report.
The temporary restrictions brought widespread disruption to Moscow’s aviation system. Even after the restrictions were lifted, airlines continued dealing with delays, cancellations and diversions caused by the drone attack.
Comments are closed.