Published: · Region: Eastern Europe · Category: conflict

Drone Threat Halts All Moscow Flights as Airports Evacuate Passengers

All four of Moscow’s major airports suspended arrivals and departures for hours after an air raid alert over a Ukrainian drone threat, forcing evacuations at Sheremetyevo and grounding traffic across the capital’s air network.

Air travel in and out of Russia’s capital was brought to a standstill on Friday after a drone threat triggered an air raid alert and forced authorities to halt flights at all four of Moscow’s main airports.

Russia’s aviation agency Rosaviatsiya stopped arrivals and departures at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky from around 14:05 Moscow time, citing safety concerns. The move followed an air raid alert at Sheremetyevo, declared amid what officials described as a Ukrainian drone threat. Passengers there were evacuated.

The suspension covered Moscow’s main air hubs and lasted several hours, disrupting domestic and international travel and stranding passengers across the network. The four airports handle a large share of Russia’s civilian flights, so a coordinated halt sends immediate ripples through airline schedules and cargo flows.

Russian outlets and pro-war channels have linked the closures to Ukrainian tactics that include drones and aerial balloons aimed at the capital region. One analysis described attacks by aerial balloons on Moscow airports and an “overload” of the four airports, suggesting a Ukrainian attempt to stress air defenses and civilian air traffic at the same time.

The simultaneous shutdown of all major Moscow airports shows how even a limited drone threat can force precautionary measures far from the front lines. It also highlights the trade-off Russian authorities face between keeping airspace open and reacting aggressively to alerts around the capital.

Signals to watch include whether similar air raid alerts and airport closures recur in the coming days, any confirmed Ukrainian statements about targeting Moscow’s air infrastructure, and visible changes in Russian air defense deployments around the capital.

Sources

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