All four airports serving Moscow have partially suspended operations following temporary airspace restrictions around the Russian capital, federal aviation agency Rosaviatsia announced.
Flight restrictions were introduced at Zhukovsky Airport on both the arrival and departure of aircraft. The capital's three remaining facilities, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Sheremetyevo, are receiving and dispatching flights only in agreement with relevant authorities.
Rosaviatsia stated in a publication on its Telegram channel that the measures were taken to ensure flight safety due to temporary limits placed on airspace usage near the air hubs. Rosaviatsia, officially known as the Federal Air Transport Agency, is the civil aviation authority responsible for air traffic management and flight security across the Russian Federation.
Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo serve as the primary international gateways for the Russian capital, handling tens of millions of passengers annually. Zhukovsky Airport, located southeast of Moscow, operates primarily for domestic and regional routes alongside commercial air freight.
Drone interceptions over Moscow region
Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that Russian air defense systems destroyed 21 drones on their approach to the capital. He added that emergency services were working at the site where falling debris landed. Sobyanin, who has held office as mayor of Moscow since 2010, oversees municipal security and public services across the city.
Emergency response crews at debris sites typically involve personnel from local rescue departments, fire services, and municipal infrastructure teams working to secure the area and assess damage.
Prior attack on the capital region
The latest flight suspensions follow a massive attack carried out by the Armed Forces of Ukraine against the Moscow region during the previous night. Russian air defense forces shot down 180 drones on their approach to Moscow out of a total of 620 drones launched toward the regional airspace.
The Armed Forces of Ukraine constitute the state military organization of Ukraine. Air defense networks in the Moscow region rely on multi-layered radar detection and missile defense units to monitor incoming aerial threats.
