Moscow airports close following reports of drone attack

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin has reported an attack involving several drones heading towards the city, prompting the temporary suspension of operations at three airports in the Russian capital and the surrounding area.

Source: Kremlin-aligned Russian news agency RIA Novosti, citing Sobyanin and Rosaviatsiya (Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency)

Details: At around 16:50, Rosaviatsiya announced temporary restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports.

Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defence units had downed a drone en route to Moscow. Emergency services are currently working at the site where the debris fell.

He later claimed that two other drones heading towards Moscow had been shot down.

At around 17:50, Sobyanin reported that a fourth drone heading towards Moscow had been shot down.

Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg has warned of possible schedule changes due to restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft at several Moscow airports.

At around 18:20, restrictions on the reception and departure of aircraft were lifted at Moscow's Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports, Rosaviatsiya reported.

Update: At about 20:30, Rosaviatsiya reported that temporary restrictions on the landing and take-off of aircraft have been reintroduced at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports.

The Russian Ministry of Defence stated that between 13:00 and 20:00, air defence forces destroyed 53 Ukrainian drones over Russian regions.

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