Drone attack closes all four Moscow airports
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Kenyans.co.ke
Moscow’s four main airports were temporarily closed after a massive drone attack, causing more than 400 flight cancellations. Restrictions, gradually lifted on Friday morning, followed the launch of 862 drones towards the Moscow region, according to Russian media cited by Kenyans.co.ke.
Moscow’s four main airports were temporarily closed after a massive drone attack overnight from Thursday to Friday, leading to the cancellation of more than 400 flights, Kenyans.co.ke reports. The restrictions lasted nearly nine hours before being gradually lifted on Friday morning.
Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency lifted restrictions at Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky at around 8am. Vnukovo and Domodedovo then continued operating under special authorisation. Sheremetyevo recorded 170 cancellations, Vnukovo 48 and Domodedovo four; Zhukovsky recorded one. Vnukovo also had 111 delays. Aircraft bound for Moscow were diverted, and Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg received 27 flights.
Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 862 drones had been launched towards the region between Thursday evening and Friday morning. Russian air defences intercepted a large number of them, he said. The outlet reported that as of midday Friday there was no indication that the attack had targeted the African leaders attending the Russia-Africa summit.
Kenyan President William Ruto, who arrived in Russia on 27 October, attended the summit held in Moscow on 28 and 29 October. The Moscow Declaration on Russia-Africa cooperation was published on 30 October 2026.
