Conflict · Moscow airport restrictionsMoscow airport drones: Four airports restrict flights, then reopenAired October 24, 2026 at 7:59 AM UTCWritten October 24, 2026 at 8:08 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07Sherematievo told waiting passengers to take shelter.0:10All four of Moscow's main airports restricted arrivals and departures, disrupting0:14travel across the capital's airport network.0:17The restrictions were later reported lifted.0:20How far did that reopening go toward restoring normal travel?0:23Sherematievo, Domodedovo, Vinukovo, and Zhukovsky all restricted civilian flights on0:29October 23, 2026.0:31Russia's aviation authority, Roza Vyatsya, announced the restrictions amid a0:35reported drone raid.0:36The disruption reached every one of the capital's four main airports.0:39For passengers at Sherematievo, Moscow's largest airport, the response went beyond0:44changes to departure boards.0:45An air alert brought instructions to move to shelter.0:48Across the airport network, restrictions affected both incoming aircraft and flights0:52waiting to leave.0:53Photographs circulated online, claiming to show drone debris on Sherematievo's0:57tarmac, those pictures haven't been authenticated.1:00The shelter instructions show how the airport responded to the threat, but they1:04don't tell us whether a drone struck the airport.1:06An airport photograph dated July 28, 2025.1:10also accompanied coverage.1:11It was an illustration from an earlier year.1:13It can't show what happened during this incident.1:16The alleged debris pictures don't provide a reliable basis for claims of airport1:19damage or casualties.1:21One daytime snapshot counted 150 delayed flights.1:24Vinukovo accounted for 75, Sheremativo for 35, Domodedovo for 31, and1:30Zhukovsky for 9.1:32These figures capture disruption during the day rather than a final count for the1:36whole day.1:37Vinukovo's 75 delays were counted at half past three, after an earlier update listed1:4229.1:43Those are successive snapshots, so adding them would count some disruption twice.1:47A later figure put delays across Moscow's airports above 340 without a precise1:52counting window or airport breakdown.1:54Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyenin said air defenses shot down 17 drones heading toward1:59the city.1:59A separate official city statement gave 19.2:02That statement appeared earlier than some accounts carrying 17, so the figures can't2:06safely be treated as a rising total.2:08The city statement also said emergency personnel were working where debris fell.2:12It didn't identify those locations as Sherematievo.2:15The mayor's interception figures remain official claims.2:18Russian officials described the drones as Ukrainian, but Ukraine hadn't acknowledged2:22this specific episode by the following morning.2:24Sherematievo reportedly had 85 cancellations and 229 delays over the day.2:29A later count listed 55 canceled arrivals and 60 canceled departures, making 1152:35cancellations.2:36The two cancellation counts haven't been reconciled and may cover different2:39snapshots or counting scopes.2:41We can't put every one of those canceled or delayed flights down to this restriction2:45period.2:45The figures don't support a single final total across all four airports either.2:50For travelers, they show substantial disruption while leaving the full size of the2:53backlog unresolved.2:55Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky had already warned airlines, insurers, and2:59governments about Russian airspace on September 1st.3:02He said Russian skies were becoming completely dangerous and would in practice be3:06closed.3:07He urged carriers to factor in drone risks.3:09Zelensky also said Ukraine didn't threaten civil aviation.3:13His warning covered carriers serving Moscow, St.3:15Petersburg, and other major hubs.3:17It described the wider aviation risk weeks before these restrictions, without3:21claiming responsibility for the October 23rd episode.3:23Rozavietsia announced the restrictions at 5 past 2 Moscow time.3:28Sheremadevo's passenger alert, all clear, was reported at 5 and all clear ends the3:32passenger alert.3:34It doesn't tell travelers when the first aircraft landed or departed again.3:37Sheremadyevo and Djukovsky were subsequently described as returning to normal3:41operations, and check-in resumed at Sheremadyevo.3:44Restrictions were also reported lifted across all four airports.3:48At that stage, Vinukovo and Domodidovo were still handling flights by agreement with3:52the relevant authorities, allowing authorized movements while controls remained.3:56The restrictions were reported lifted, but each airport's exact restriction period4:01remained unclear.4:02By October 24th, there was still no clear answer on whether the delayed journeys,4:07cancellations, and airport schedules had recovered.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗Related coverageBackgroundOct 18 09:04 UTCOne killed in St. Petersburg drone attack as flights begin returning
