Kazan Airport temporarily shut as drone alert hits Tatarstan

Tatarstan authorities have issued a drone threat alert for the second time today, effective from 10:42 local time, according to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations' announcement.

In response, Kazan Airport has imposed temporary restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures, Rosaviatsia reported. This marks the fourth drone alert in the republic in the past week.

The previous alert was lifted less than an hour earlier, at 10:10, having been in effect since 1:43.

During the night, between 23:00 and 7:00 Moscow time, Russian air defence forces shot down 287 aircraft-type drones over 12 regions, including 118 over Bryansk Oblast. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin previously reported that more than 30 drones had been targeting the capital.

The drone activity has caused significant disruption to air travel, leading to the cancellation of dozens of flights, including departures from Kazan. Some Aeroflot flights were diverted to alternate airports in Saint Petersburg, Nizhny Novgorod, and Kazan. All Moscow airports were later reopened.

Earlier in the week, a drone alert had been issued in Tatarstan on the morning of December 2, temporarily closing Kazan Airport and causing flight delays. The day before, another alert was declared at 2:40 and remained in effect for five hours, although airport operations in the republic were not affected.

By Tamilla Hasanova