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Authorities restricted flights at Moscow’s four airports from the evening of October 15 until early October 16, while St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport remained restricted until 9 a.m. Nearly 200 flights were reported delayed or canceled across the two cities. Russian officials said air defenses shot down drones, but the full impact of the restrictions and the circumstances of each reported interception remain unclear.
Five airports serving Moscow and St. Petersburg restricted flights overnight from October 15 to October 16, disrupting nearly 200 flights through delays or cancellations, according to Russian media reports. The restrictions came amid reported drone attacks: Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses shot down 94 drones heading toward the capital, while Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said four were shot down over his region.
Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, restricted arrivals and departures at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports beginning on the evening of October 15. The measures remained in place until early October 16. The Moskva news agency reported that almost 160 flights at Moscow airports were delayed or canceled, including 79 at Sheremetyevo and 66 at Vnukovo.
Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg also suspended operations, with restrictions lasting until 9 a.m. Fontanka, a St. Petersburg-based outlet, reported that 37 departing flights and nine arriving flights there were delayed or canceled. Together, the reports amount to 191 affected flights across the two cities, though the figures are media reports and may reflect different counting methods.
Sobyanin said air defense forces had shot down 94 Ukrainian drones heading toward Moscow since the evening. Drozdenko reported that four drones were downed over Leningrad region, where St. Petersburg is located. These are statements by regional officials; the source report did not provide independent verification or further details about the drones’ routes or targets.
Disruption Across Two Major Hubs
The restrictions affected airports serving Russia’s two largest cities, interrupting both domestic and international travel through major air hubs. Delays and cancellations can leave passengers waiting for new departure times, connecting flights or alternative transport, while airlines and airport operators work through backlogs after restrictions are lifted.
The overnight episode also adds to a pattern of repeated flight suspensions at Moscow airports during October. Those stoppages underscore how reported drone activity can affect civilian aviation even when no airport damage or direct threat to passengers is confirmed in the available reporting. The figures describe disrupted flights, not the total number of travelers affected.
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October Airport Closures Increase
Flight suspensions at Moscow airports have become more frequent this month, according to a count by the independent Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo. It calculated that Moscow’s four airports were closed for a combined 101 hours during the first 14 days of October, compared with 46 hours across all of September. The totals use different time periods, so they show the duration reported for each period rather than a like-for-like monthly comparison.
The episode comes amid reporting about Ukraine’s use of long-range drones near Russian airports. The Atlantic journalist Simon Shuster wrote the day before, citing sources, that Ukraine’s campaign to disrupt operations at Russian airports was “just getting started.” Shuster’s account is based on unnamed sources and should be treated as reported claims, not an official announcement of a new policy.
On September 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russian skies were “becoming unsafe” and that “drones will start appearing in Russia’s skies in a way that will have to be reckoned with.” Shuster reported that Ukraine had used long-range drones in recent weeks to make airspace around Russian airports harder to use, while saying Zelensky had not approved the original plan for more aggressive tactics.
“Air defense forces shot down 94 Ukrainian drones heading toward the Russian capital since the evening.”
— Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin
Details Behind the Restrictions
The available reporting does not establish which specific incidents prompted each airport restriction, whether all reported drone interceptions were connected to the airport closures, or whether any drones caused damage or injuries. It also does not provide a confirmed count of passengers affected, the number of flights that resumed on schedule, or a final accounting from airport operators and airlines.
The reported 94 drones near Moscow and four over Leningrad region are figures provided by regional officials. The source material does not include independent confirmation of those totals. Claims about Ukraine’s wider aims and plans come from reporting that cites sources, while Zelensky’s earlier remarks do not confirm Ukrainian responsibility for this particular operation.
Airports Resume and Reconcile Flights
The immediate next step is for airlines and airports to restore normal schedules and handle disrupted journeys after the restrictions ended. Pulkovo’s restrictions were reported to have lasted until 9 a.m. on October 16; Moscow’s measures were reported lifted early that morning. Passengers may still face knock-on delays as aircraft and crews are repositioned.
Further official statements or airline updates could clarify the cause and duration of each closure, the status of affected flights, and whether any operational impacts continued after reopening. The source material does not specify when a fuller accounting will be issued.
Key Questions
Which airports restricted flights?
Rosaviatsiya restricted arrivals and departures at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports. St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport also suspended operations.
How many flights were disrupted?
Reports cited almost 160 delayed or canceled flights at Moscow airports and 46 at Pulkovo, for a combined reported total of 206. The headline description of “almost 200” is approximate, and the sources may use different counting methods.
How long did the restrictions last?
Moscow’s restrictions began on the evening of October 15 and remained in place until early October 16. Pulkovo’s restrictions were reported to last until 9 a.m. on October 16.
What did Russian officials report about drones?
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defenses shot down 94 drones heading toward Moscow. Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said four were shot down over the region. The available report does not independently verify those figures.
Were there reported injuries or airport damage?
The source material does not report injuries or airport damage. It also does not provide a confirmed passenger total or a final airline-by-airline account of the disruption.
Source: rss
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