All four Moscow airports shut down amid massive drone attack

All four Moscow airports were forced to close as a large-scale drone raid targeted the capital, prompting flight delays and operational restrictions. The incident prompted authorities to restrict activity across Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky airports.

Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said air defense downed a substantial number of drones heading toward the city in under an hour. Reports later indicated the total tally of destroyed drones had risen, and a drone threat alert was declared in the Moscow region.

Vnukovo was the first to implement special operating restrictions, with similar measures later announced at the other three airports. Online flight information boards showed delays across the network, signaling widespread disruption to schedules.

The delays varied by airport: Vnukovo reported the most significant impact with about a dozen arriving flights delayed, while Sheremetyevo experienced delays affecting around two dozen flights. Domodedovo reported fewer delays, and Zhukovsky had no scheduling problems reported at that time.

This event follows prior drone disruptions to Moscow’s aviation system, including a November 2 incident when all four airports faced disruptions and two were temporarily suspended. Earlier, a late October attack caused extensive delays and cancellations across Russia’s airports.