Moscow’s four airports suspended arrivals and departures overnight into Friday, Oct. 16, amid drone alerts, forcing more than 20 inbound aircraft to divert, according to Russian aviation authorities.
Restrictions at Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky began on Thursday evening, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, said.
JOIN US ON TELEGRAM
Follow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.
All four had reopened by 5:43 a.m. Moscow time on Friday, when Domodedovo and Zhukovsky resumed operations after Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo, Moscow 24 reported.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses had intercepted 94 drones heading toward the capital, according to Meduza.
The Moscow Times reported more than 200 flight cancellations at Moscow’s airports during the disruption.
Moscow airports face repeated restrictions
The latest shutdown followed restrictions at all four airports on Oct. 9 and again overnight on Oct. 13-14.
More than 500 flights were delayed or canceled during the Oct. 13-14 disruption, The Moscow Times reported, with aircraft also diverted to other Russian cities.
Ukraine warns of growing risks to Russian airspace
President Volodymyr Zelensky warned airlines and insurers in September about growing risks in Russian airspace as Ukraine expanded strikes on military targets and infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort. He said Ukraine did not target civilian aircraft.
“Drone-infested skies are no place for civilian aviation,” he said. “The safe days in Russia’s skies are over.”
Ukraine is preparing a broader campaign to disrupt Russian airports using AI-guided drones capable of navigating and identifying targets without human operators, The Atlantic reported, citing two sources familiar with the plan.
Other Topics of Interest
Ukrainian Composer’s Opera on Abducted Children Premieres in Warsaw
Commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera, “The Mothers of Kherson” brings the stories of Ukrainian mothers searching for their abducted children to the international stage.
The proposed operation, codenamed “M&Ms,” was developed under former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov, as previously reported by Kyiv Post.
Russian airlines carried 39.5 million passengers between May and August, down 7% from 42.6 million during the same period in 2025, according to Rosaviatsiya head Dmitry Yadrov.
The industry also faces difficulties maintaining foreign-made aircraft and prolonged closures of airports in southern Russia, as Kyiv Post previously reported.
Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 90% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.