Russian airports closed amid alleged Ukrainian balloon and drone raid
Rosaviatsia said the “Carpet” contingency plan halted operations as air defenses reported destroying 15 drones and hundreds of flights were delayed or canceled.
- On Friday, October 9, 2026, all four Moscow airports—Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky—suspended operations for three hours due to reported drone and balloon threats, according to Rosaviatsia.
- Authorities activated the "Cover" contingency plan as Rossiya Special Flight Detachment aircraft returning from Turkmenistan were forced to circle the region amid air defense activity.
- The disruption affected hundreds of flights, with more than 200 delayed and around 100 canceled, while presidential jet RA-96025 diverted to Pulkovo Airport after failing to land at Vnukovo Airport.
- New data shows flight cancellations nationwide doubled in the first nine months of 2026, though Russia's Transport Ministry said services would prevent "significant disruptions" to civil aviation.
- In early September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatened to "close the skies" over Russia, a warning President Vladimir Putin later labeled "a signal of intent to commit state terrorism.
122 Articles
122 Articles
A swarm of Ukrainian drones paralyzed for hours the airports of Moscow, forcing several government flights, including those used by President Vladimir Putin, to fly over the capital or to be hijacked to St. Petersburg. It happened Friday, October 9, while the leader of the Kremlin and some of his collaborators returned from a summit in Turkmenistan. [...] The article Shame of Ukrainian drones on Moscow, closed ports of call. Putin's flying Kreml…
Putin Reportedly Unable to Land in Moscow as Drones Paralyze Russia’s Capital
Russian leader Vladimir Putin was reportedly unable to land in Moscow on October 9 as a large-scale drone alert paralyzed the capital’s airports, forcing a presidential aircraft returning from Turkmenistan to divert to St. Petersburg. However, it remains unclear whether Putin himself was aboard the diverted plane.
Looks Like Putin's Trip Home Was a Bit Messy, Due to Drones
Ukrainian drones didn't just darken Moscow's skies on Friday—they may have brief scrambled President Vladimir Putin's path home, too. The New York Times reports that a wave of drones shut all four Moscow airports, forcing hundreds of flights to be danced or delayed. Flight tracking data shown at least...
The attack last night, while the Russian President returned from the summit of the former Soviet States in Turkmenistan
While the Russian president returned from a summit in Turkmenistan, Friday evening a drone attack paralyzed air traffic in the capital, forcing several government aircraft to change their flight plans
The Ukrainian drone strike disrupted air traffic in Moscow.
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