Two Moscow airports partially closed amid drone threat

Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports have been partially closed amid a reported drone threat, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) said.

The airports are accepting and dispatching flights subject to approval from the relevant authorities.

The head of the Moscow Region’s Istra district also reported a drone threat.

The latest restrictions come amid a sharp increase in disruptions to Russia’s civil aviation sector linked to drone activity. Russian airports were temporarily closed 993 times in August, according to data from aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions cited by Bloomberg. The figure was more than one-third higher than in July and exceeded the total number of airport closures recorded throughout 2025.

Overall, Russian airports recorded 2,182 temporary closures during the three summer months of 2026, compared with 1,923 for the whole of 2025.

The repeated restrictions have affected airports across Russia, including Moscow’s major hubs, as authorities impose temporary flight limitations during periods of drone activity.

By Tamilla Hasanova