Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency temporarily halted aircraft arrivals and departures at all four major Moscow airports on 23 October after air defences engaged drones approaching the capital. The restrictions affected Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky, disrupting the Moscow air transport hub before operations gradually resumed under revised procedures later in the day.
Rosaviatsiya introduced the measures to protect flight safety, following earlier restrictions at Vnukovo and Domodedovo that allowed movements only with approval from the relevant authorities. Sheremetyevo declared an air-raid alert and instructed passengers and staff to move to designated shelters. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that air defences had destroyed drones approaching the city; reports also indicated that debris from a drone fell within the Sheremetyevo airport area.
The disruption resulted in delays, cancellations, schedule changes and diversions. More than 25 Moscow-bound flights were reportedly diverted to St Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport. Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky later resumed normal operations, while Vnukovo and Domodedovo initially continued handling flights subject to coordination with authorities. The incident represented the second complete shutdown of Moscow’s four-airport system within two days. Confirmed figures for the total number of affected flights, casualties and damage were not consistently available.