{
  "id": 16193443,
  "title": "Ukraine tries to shut Moscow's airports with drone strikes on Russia",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/ukraine-tries-to-shut-moscows-airports-with-drone-strikes-on-russia",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-23T14:23:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "DW English (Top Stories)",
    "slug": "dw-english-top-stories",
    "url": "https://www.dw.com/en/ukraine-tries-to-shut-moscow-s-airports-with-drone-strikes-on-russia/a-79737469?maca=en-rss-en-top-1022-xml-mrss"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Since Russia's full-scale invasion began in February 2022, Ukraine has been using drones to force the suspension of flights at Russian airports. Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Zhukovsky, and Vnukovo airports have been closed almost daily in October, with some closures lasting up to nine hours. In early September, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukraine's intention to cut off airspace around Moscow and other Russian destinations. Ukraine has warned airlines, insurers, and users of major Russian airports that Russian airspace will become unsafe. Russia's aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, has issued an emergency safety protocol to shut down airspace in response to military threats or unidentified objects in the sky. Ukraine's military capabilities are believed to far surpass those of the Houthis, who have disrupted Saudi airspace. Ukraine's armed forces are committed to disrupting Russian air traffic, even if they haven't completely shut it down yet. The necessary resources for Ukraine to shut down Moscow's airports are available, according to experts. Russia's air-defense systems have not effectively prevented Ukrainian drones from entering Moscow's airspace, and there's a risk of Russia mistakenly targeting civilian aircraft. The carpet protocol could increase this risk. A collision between an airplane and a basic drone could have serious consequences, and even a non-explosive drone can disrupt air traffic. Whether international airlines continue to fly to Russia depends on factors like the military threat, demand, and insurance costs.",
  "summary": "Repeated Ukrainian drone attacks are increasingly disrupting operations at Moscow's airports. The pounding is part of Ukraine's plan to shut down Russia's airpace.",
  "key_points": [
    "Ukraine has been using drones to force closure of Russian airports since February 2022.",
    "Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Zhukovsky, and Vnukovo airports have been closed almost daily in October."
  ],
  "editors_take": "Targeting major aviation hubs transforms the conflict into a direct threat to Russian domestic infrastructure, forcing the Kremlin to balance military defense against the safety of civilian air travel.",
  "illustration": "https://urgent.news/ill/16193443.png",
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 5,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "ABC News (US)",
        "title": "Ukraine and Russia exchange major strikes on capital cities after peace talks",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/22/ukraine-and-russia-exchange-major-strikes-on-capital-cities-after",
        "published": "2026-10-22T12:03:48.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Meduza (English)",
        "title": "All four Moscow airports shut down, one declares air raid alert and begins evacuating passengers",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/all-four-moscow-airports-shut-down-one-declares-air-raid-alert-and",
        "published": "2026-10-23T12:57:18.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Kyiv Independent",
        "title": "Ukrainian drone attack triggers shut down of Moscow airports, drone debris reported on tarmac",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/ukrainian-drone-attack-triggers-shut-down-of-moscow-airports-drone",
        "published": "2026-10-23T14:28:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Euromaidan Press",
        "title": "Denmark rushes 50,000 cannon rounds to Ukraine to help F-16s hunt Russia’s advanced jet drones",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/23/denmark-rushes-50-000-cannon-rounds-to-ukraine-to-help-f-16s-hunt",
        "published": "2026-10-23T16:07:15.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}