Russian Airports Closed Nearly A Thousand Times In August, Countries Cancel Russian Airline Flights

In August, Russia's airports experienced nearly a thousand closures due to Ukrainian drone attacks, according to data from Osprey Flight Solutions. This marked a significant increase from the summer before, with more than 2,000 closures recorded over the entire summer. The majority of the closures took place in Moscow and St. Petersburg. Russian airspace has continued to be affected by Ukrainian drones, with around 16,000 crossing into Russia in August alone. This poses a significant safety concern for civilian flights.

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have also taken action in response to the situation. In Kyrgyzstan, several Russian airline flights were delayed or canceled, with the reasons not specified. On the other hand, Tajikistan canceled three Ural Airlines flights - two from Russia to Tajikistan and one in the opposite direction. The cause for these cancellations was also not disclosed.

The international response to the threat posed by Russian airspace has been notable. Turkish airlines began canceling flights to Moscow en masse, while the shares of Russia's Aeroflot and other Russian companies on the stock exchange saw a sharp decline. Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned international airlines and insurers that Ukraine would intensify drone attacks on Russian territory in response to Russian strikes on civilian infrastructure.

He also informed the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) of the danger posed by Russian airspace. Consequently, Russian airports have continued to operate as normal, handling and dispatching flights, including those of foreign airlines.