All 4 Moscow Airports Halt Flights as Sheremetyevo Issues Air Raid Alert

On Friday, all four major airports in the Moscow metro area—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky—halted both arrivals and departures due to an air raid alert at Sheremetyevo airport, according to Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsia. Passengers at Sheremetyevo were instructed to seek shelter in nearby safe areas and facilities.

Vnukovo warned travelers to anticipate significant delays, as restrictions were imposed for safety reasons. Domodedovo adjusted its flight schedule due to temporary limitations.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that Russian air defenses had intercepted at least 11 drones approaching the city over a span of several hours. The airports have not released any details regarding when normal operations will resume. This disruption in air travel followed earlier warnings from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky regarding the growing threats to Russian airspace from drone operations.

Zelensky cautioned airlines operating over Russia to consider the escalating risks, stating that Ukraine was not targeting civilian aviation but that its drone attacks would force Russian airspace to close temporarily.

Zelensky expressed concern that Russian authorities were not adequately informing civilian aviation of the dangers. Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced Zelensky's remarks as a threat of terrorism and vowed a response if aviation accidents occurred. Safe Airspace provided a report indicating that Ukraine's airspace has been closed to civilian flights since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

Additionally, Russia, Belarus, and Moldova have partially closed their airspace near their borders with Ukraine. Several Western countries, including the US, UK, Canada, France, and Italy, have imposed full flight bans through Ukrainian airspace due to concerns over military activities and potential cyberattacks that could endanger civilians.

Russia has continued its military operations against Ukraine, with President Vladimir Putin anticipating the continuation of drone attacks throughout the country until September's State Duma elections, aiming to demonstrate a "picture of victory" to voters. As of July 29, NATO member states have recorded approximately 80 Russian drone and missile airspace violations since 2022, heightening fears that Russia's conflict with Ukraine might extend beyond its borders.