More than 100 flights delayed or canceled at Sochi airport after drone attack, plane refueling restricted
Sochi’s airport operated under restrictions for more than 11 hours after an overnight Ukrainian drone attack, with some flights diverted to other cities and the rest delayed or canceled. The strikes set two fuel depots on fire, one of which sits about 100 meters (330 feet) from the airport grounds, and blanketed the city’s sky in thick black smoke.
Sochi's airport was placed under restrictions for over 11 hours following a Ukrainian drone attack overnight. The assault resulted in two fuel depots catching fire, one of which was located just 100 meters from the airport premises. Thick black smoke engulfed the city's sky, leading to the cancellation of around 27 inbound flights and delaying the takeoff or landing of about 90 flights.
Some Aeroflot flights were rescheduled to September 8 or even September 21, according to passengers. The airport also imposed restrictions on aircraft refueling, with a NOTAM notice issued on September 4 limiting refueling to the operator LLC Lukoil. This restriction was set to continue until midday on September 5. An earlier notice had reported refueling restrictions across all of the airport's fuel operators.
The fuel issues may impact more than just aviation; Krasnodar Governor Veniamin Kondratyev warned that the depot fire could complicate situations at Sochi's gas stations, as authorities must prevent supply disruptions. Following complaints from Sochi residents about the black smoke, Rospotrebnadzor began monitoring air quality. Measurements in the Adler district and at Sirius did not exceed permissible limits.
The affected fuel depots were protected by anti-drone netting, but the netting failed to prevent the fire, as evidenced by panoramic images from Yandex Maps.
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