Russia temporarily closes Sochi, Gelendzhik airports over drone concerns

Airports in Russia's Sochi and Gelendzhik cities have introduced temporary restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft, said the spokesperson of Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya), Artem Korenyako, in a Telegram post.

“The restrictions are necessary to ensure flight safety,” he wrote, per Caliber.Az.

Earlier, similar measures were implemented on the night of October 6 to 7 at the airports of Volgograd, Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, and Yaroslavl. Restrictions at the Kaluga, Nizhny Novgorod, and Volgograd airports have since been lifted.

The last time flight restrictions were imposed at Sochi and Gelendzhik airports was overnight on October 5-6.

The measures come amid an increased threat of drone attacks. Russia’s Defence Ministry reported intercepting 184 drones over the night of October 6-7.

By Khagan Isayev