Drone raid hits Moscow, forcing local airports to ground flights
An overnight drone strike targeted Moscow on August 11, with Mayor Sergei Sobyanin claiming that Russian air defenses shot down at least 13 inbound drones.
On August 11, Moscow endured an overnight drone strike, prompting the suspension of flight operations at major local airports. Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defenses successfully shot down at least 13 inbound drones, ordering emergency services to the areas where debris landed. Russia's aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, confirmed that Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports halted their services temporarily before resuming normal operations.
The Russian news outlet Astra had previously noted in an August 6 report that the escalation of drone threats had led to a significant decline in air passenger traffic between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Air traffic on this crucial route had plummeted by 18% to 1.6 million during the first half of 2026, far surpassing Russia's minor 3.2% nationwide decrease in air travel.
The primary reason for this shift was the recurrent disruption of airport operations caused by drone threats, which triggered Russia's military emergency airspace shutdown protocol, known as the "Carpet" plan. The decline in air travel was further exacerbated by an increase in direct international flights from St. Petersburg, eliminating the need for passengers to make a layover in Moscow. Additionally, several carriers withdrew from the Moscow-St. Petersburg route following the launch of Aeroflot's Shuttle program.
Written by urgent.news from New Voice of Ukraine's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
