The Russian capital’s aviation network faced renewed disruptions on Thursday as authorities responded to a large-scale aerial incursion targeting the city’s hubs. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses intercepted more than 800 drones, prompting the aviation agency Rosaviatsiya to introduce restrictions on arrivals and departures at all four major airports in Moscow. The closures resulted in widespread flight delays and financial losses for airlines operating in the region.
The overnight flight restrictions follow a pattern of drone strikes by Ukraine, including incursions on Oct 23 and Oct 27 that similarly paralyzed Moscow’s airspace. Russian officials have reported that some of these attacks involved the use of balloons to transport smaller unmanned aerial vehicles past air defenses, a tactic that previously led to passenger evacuations at Sheremetyevo Airport and emergency alerts in the Moscow City district.