The danger of drone attacks also forces Moscow airports to stop takeoffs and landings again and again. This time, three airports were affected – and for many hours.
Following the drone attacks in the Moscow region, three of the capital’s airports were not allowed to take off or land for several hours. The airports affected were Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, the Russian air traffic authority Rosaviatsia in Moscow announced. According to the report, operations continued unhindered only at the capital’s largest airport, Sheremetyevo.
According to the information, there were no take-offs or landings at the other three airports for over six hours until the morning. The number of flight cancellations was initially unclear. At around 8:00 a.m. (7:00 a.m. CEST) the all-clear was given. The restrictions had been lifted, it was said. According to Russian information, more than a dozen drones were shot down in the Moscow region beforehand.
“The aircraft crews, air traffic controllers and airport services took all necessary measures to ensure flight safety – this is the top priority,” said a Rosavitsiya spokesman. In the past, there were also temporary halts to takeoffs and landings at Moscow airports following drone attacks.
These new restrictions are likely to be the most severe since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine more than two and a half years ago. In its defensive struggle, Ukraine also repeatedly attacks targets in Russia.
There were also no take-offs or landings at the airport in Kazan, the capital of the Russian republic of Tatarstan. Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin wants to present himself there in October as host of the BRICS summit of emerging industrial nations. BRICS is an abbreviation for the founding members Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. However, other countries have now joined. It is by far the biggest political event in Russia this year.
The Russian Defense Ministry reported this morning that at least 144 drone attacks had been repelled in various parts of the country. The Bryansk region, which borders Ukraine, alone reported 72 repelled attacks. In the town of Ramenskoye near Moscow, a 46-year-old woman died, according to authorities, when the upper floors of a house caught fire after a drone attack. Three people were injured. Dozens of residents had to be brought to safety.
