On the night of November 10, 2024, Russia’s defense ministry said it had shot down 34 Ukrainian attack drones headed for Moscow. The ministry called it the largest attempted strike on the capital since the full-scale invasion began in 2022. Three airports shut temporarily, and people were hurt in the village of Stanovoye near Moscow, France 24 reported.
That night looks modest now. Reports since then describe a pattern: Ukrainian drones reach the Moscow region, and the first visible damage is to air travel.
May 2025: four airports at once
In May 2025, all four international airports around Moscow stopped flights on a Tuesday while Russian forces said they intercepted more than 100 Ukrainian drones fired at almost a dozen regions. According to PBS and the Associated Press, nine other regional airports also paused, and it was the second night running that the Moscow region was reportedly targeted. The raids came days before Vladimir Putin’s planned 72-hour Victory Day ceasefire. The AP added that Ukraine uses increasingly sophisticated domestically produced drones to offset a smaller army along a roughly 1,000-kilometer front line, and to hit Russian territory with long-range strikes. The Russian figures could not be independently verified.
February 2026: dozens of drones, one afternoon
On February 22, 2026, dozens of drones came at the capital over several hours. Mayor Sergey Sobyanin claimed that more than 20 were shot down on approach. Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky all suspended flights, per Rosaviatsiya. Russian officials reported no casualties or damage, and the Kyiv Independent could not verify the claims. The same day, the defense ministry said 29 drones were intercepted over Bryansk Oblast alone.
October 2026: three shutdowns in ten days
The Kyiv Post described the worst stretch yet. Overnight on Oct. 13 and 14, over 500 flights were delayed or canceled across the capital’s airports. On Oct. 16, the four main airports suspended every inbound and outbound flight; more than 20 airliners diverted and over 200 flights were canceled before restrictions lifted around 5:45 a.m. Then came Saturday, Oct. 17, when Sobyanin said air defenses intercepted 75 drones heading for the capital. The Russian defense ministry claimed 610 Ukrainian drones destroyed across 15 regions overnight.
A Pegasus Airlines flight from Antalya had left Turkey at 7:35 p.m. Passengers learned in mid-air that Moscow’s airspace was sealed. The plane landed at St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo at about 1:00 a.m. and passengers waited aboard until Moscow reopened.
What Kyiv says it wants
Ukrainian officials say their drones do not aim at civilian aircraft. Their stated goal is to restrict military transport and expose the risks of Russian airspace in wartime. The Kyiv Independent reported that officials also see disrupting aviation as a way to bring the war’s consequences to the Russian population, even though Moscow keeps substantial air defenses. In September, Volodymyr Zelensky warned airlines and insurers of rising hazards over Russia.
Sources
- Russia and Ukraine launch record overnight drone attacks (France 24)
- Ukraine drone attacks briefly shut down Moscow's international airports (PBS NewsHour / AP)
- Moscow shuts down all 4 airports during Ukrainian drone attack, Russian officials say (Kyiv Independent)
- Drone Attack Paralyzes Moscow Airports Again (Kyiv Post)
