Massive drone attacks shut down flights across multiple Russian cities
Photo: More than 40 flights delayed at Pulkovo Airport in St. Petersburg (Getty Images)
On Saturday, August 23, several Russian airports suspended flights after an attack by unidentified drones, according to Russian Telegram channels.
The Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) said flights were halted at airports in Saratov, Volgograd, Kaluga, Tambov, Nizhny Novgorod, Ulyanovsk, Kirov, Nizhnekamsk, Kazan, and Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.
"Temporary restrictions have been introduced within the airspace perimeter of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport. The airport continues to service flights of Russian and foreign airlines for arrivals and departures based on availability and scheduling," the ASTRA channel reported at 9:10 PM local time.
The shutdown came after unknown drones attacked several cities. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin recently said air defense forces shot down a drone allegedly heading toward the capital.
Saint Petersburg was also targeted. Russian media reported that more than 40 flights at Pulkovo Airport were delayed.
Social media footage showed a drone flying over Saint Petersburg. Authorities claim two drones were shot down. Governor Alexander Beglov said one drone was downed in the Pushkinsky District and another in the Krasnoselsky.
The Russian Ministry of Defense said it destroyed 32 drones over the Kaluga, Bryansk, Novgorod, Leningrad, Tver, Smolensk, and Tula regions.
This is the second major disruption in less than two months. On July 5, attacks by unidentified drones led to the cancellation of nearly 100 flights in Moscow and Saint Petersburg, with hundreds more delayed.
The following day, the situation worsened, affecting even more flights.
