TL;DR
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Flight restrictions at Moscow’s four airports and St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport were in place overnight from October 15 into October 16, amid reported Ukrainian drone attacks. Russian media reported nearly 200 delayed or canceled flights across the airports; officials said air defenses shot down drones, but the full operational impact and details of any damage were not reported.
Five airports serving Moscow and St. Petersburg restricted or halted flights overnight from October 15 into October 16 amid reported drone attacks, disrupting nearly 200 flights, according to Russian media reports. The restrictions affected major air links in Russia’s two largest cities; authorities said air defenses intercepted drones, but the reports did not detail damage or casualties.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, known as Rosaviatsiya, restricted arrivals and departures at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports beginning on the evening of October 15. The restrictions remained in place until early October 16. The Moskva news agency reported that almost 160 flights at the Moscow airports were delayed or canceled, including 79 at Sheremetyevo and 66 at Vnukovo. The source report did not give separate figures for Domodedovo and Zhukovsky.
St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport was also closed, with restrictions lasting until 9 a.m. on October 16. The local outlet Fontanka reported that 37 departing flights and nine arriving flights there were delayed or canceled. Taken together, the Moscow and Pulkovo figures amount to nearly 200 disrupted flights. The reports describe delays and cancellations; they do not provide a complete count of passengers affected or say how quickly normal schedules resumed.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said air defense forces had shot down 94 Ukrainian drones heading toward the Russian capital since the evening. Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said four drones were shot down over the region around St. Petersburg. These are officials’ accounts of interceptions; the source report did not independently verify the figures or describe where the drones came down.
Flight Disruptions Across Two Cities
The restrictions interrupted air travel at five airports serving Russia’s main political and commercial centers. When arrivals and departures are paused, flights can be delayed or canceled even if an airport itself has not sustained damage. The reported disruption affected both Moscow’s airport network and Pulkovo, extending the consequences beyond a single city.
The figures also point to a growing operational burden. Independent Russian investigative outlet Agentstvo calculated that Moscow’s four airports were closed for a combined 101 hours during the first 14 days of October, compared with 46 hours over all of September. Those totals measure closure time, not the number of flights affected, but show that restrictions were being imposed more often during the first half of October.
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A Rising Pattern of Airport Closures
The latest restrictions came amid reports of Ukrainian long-range drone activity near Russian airports. The source report, citing Atlantic journalist Simon Shuster, said Ukraine had used long-range drones in recent weeks to make airspace around Russian airports harder to use. Shuster wrote the day before the airport closures that a campaign to paralyze Russian airport operations was “just getting started,” citing sources. That characterization is a reported assessment, not an official announcement of a new Ukrainian operation.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on September 1 that Russian skies were “becoming unsafe,” adding that “drones will start appearing in Russia’s skies in a way that will have to be reckoned with.” According to Shuster’s account, Zelensky had not approved the original plan described as involving more aggressive tactics. The available reporting does not establish that the October 15–16 attacks were part of that proposed plan.
“Air defense forces shot down 94 Ukrainian drones heading toward the Russian capital since the evening.”
— Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin
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Damage and Flight Recovery Unreported
The source reports do not establish whether any drones reached their intended targets, whether there was damage or injury, or where all the interceptions occurred. The reported drone totals come from Russian officials and are not independently verified in the material available here. It is also unclear whether all five airports returned to normal schedules immediately after restrictions ended.
The reported flight counts combine delays and cancellations, and do not specify how many flights fell into each category. There is no passenger total, full account of knock-on delays, or detailed explanation of how individual airport restrictions were lifted.
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Watch for Airport and Flight Updates
Rosaviatsiya and the airports’ operators are the relevant sources for any further restrictions, while airlines can confirm revised departure times and cancellations. Passengers traveling through Moscow or Pulkovo should check directly with their airline and airport for current schedules rather than assume that the end of the reported restrictions restored every flight to its original timetable.
Further official statements may clarify the reported interceptions and whether any damage occurred. Updated figures from airport operators or transport authorities could also show the full effect on schedules after the overnight closures.
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Key Questions
Which airports restricted flights?
Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky in the Moscow area, along with Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, faced restrictions or a closure.
When were the restrictions in place?
The restrictions began on the evening of October 15, 2026, and continued into the morning of October 16. The source report says Pulkovo’s restrictions lasted until 9 a.m.; Moscow’s restrictions remained in place until early morning.
How many flights were affected?
Russian media reported almost 160 delayed or canceled flights at the Moscow airports and 46 at Pulkovo, for nearly 200 overall. The figures combine delays and cancellations.
What did officials say about the 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 his region. These figures are officials’ statements and were not independently verified in the source report.
Was damage or injury reported?
The source report did not provide confirmed information about damage or casualties. It also did not say whether all airport schedules had returned to normal after restrictions were lifted.
Source: rss
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