Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency temporarily halted aircraft arrivals and departures at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky on 23 October after reports of drones approaching Moscow. The restrictions, imposed at 14:05 Moscow time for flight-safety reasons, disrupted the capital’s main aviation hub, with more than 340 flights reportedly delayed or cancelled across the four-airport system.
The shutdown was the second closure of all four airports in two days. Rosaviatsiya had restricted operations at Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky from 00:38 on 22 October, extending the measures to Sheremetyevo at 02:44 before lifting them at 05:19.
Sheremetyevo declared an air alert and directed passengers to designated shelters. Reports also indicated that drone debris was found on or near airport grounds, although that detail was not independently confirmed. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed that Russian air defences had brought down 17 drones approaching the city.
The temporary halt affected both scheduled departures and arrivals, requiring aircraft to remain on the ground, hold or divert. Rosaviatsiya did not specify how long the 23 October restrictions would last, and no confirmed final total for cancellations was available.