Explosions and drones force airport closures across several Russian regions
Several regions in Russia reported explosions due to a drone attack (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
On the night of May 21, several regions of Russia restricted the operation of airports. Drones were reported in the regions, air defense forces and systems were activated, and explosions were heard, according to Russian public channels.
How the airports were shut down
Already in the evening prior, Russian media circulated a notice from Rosaviatsiya about the implementation of the Carpet plan at Kaluga airports, Grabtsevo, Kubinka, Yermolino, and several others.
In addition, the airspace over Tula was reportedly closed. These flight restrictions were explained as security measures, allegedly due to the threat posed by drones.
At the mentioned airports, landings and departures were prohibited. Pilots were advised to divert aircraft to alternate airports in St. Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Yaroslavl, or Moscow — including Domodedovo, Zhukovsky, Sheremetyevo, or Vnukovo, according to the Telegram channel Mash.
By early morning, Russia had also restricted operations at Yaroslavl’s Tunoshna airport and Kostroma’s Sokerkino. Russian media report that Rosaviatsiya implemented the Carpet plan there as well, allegedly due to a drone threat.
Explosions in the regions
Around 11:30 p.m., residents of Russia’s Tula region reported a series of explosions online.
According to the Telegram channel Mash, loud bangs were heard in the town of Aleksin in the Tula region. Russian media also reported that after the incident, there was a massive disruption of mobile communications and internet service.
Shortly after midnight, Russian social media channels reported several explosions in the Ryazan region, particularly over the city of Ryazan. According to the Telegram channel SHOT, residents reported hearing about five loud bangs in different parts of the city.
Russian channels reported that air defense systems were allegedly activated against drones launched by the Ukrainian side. However, local authorities did not report any damage or consequences “on the ground.”
In mid-April, Russia claimed that drones had massively attacked the city of Kursk, where dozens of explosions were heard and fires broke out.
Recently, it was reported that the Strela defense plant in the Bryansk region halted operations, allegedly due to an air attack. This facility is part of Russia’s military-industrial complex.
There were also reports of explosions in the Moscow region during the night of May 5. In the Podolsky urban district, air defense systems were activated following the detection of drones supposedly moving toward the capital of Russia.
