On the night of 16 October, Rosaviatsiya temporarily restricted the arrival and departure of flights at all four Moscow airports. At 06:57 Moscow time, the restrictions were lifted, and Moscow’s mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, reported that 144 drones had allegedly been shot down, which, he said, were heading towards the city.
Briefly about the main points
- Rosaviatsiya lifted the restrictions at four Moscow airports at 06:57.
- Three airports were subject to restrictions for 7 hours and 31 minutes.
- All four airports operated under restrictions simultaneously for almost five hours.
- Sobyanin claimed that 144 UAVs had allegedly been destroyed.
- Around 250 delayed or cancelled flights were recorded at three airports.
How long did the restrictions at airports last?
According to Rosaviatsiya, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky restricted the arrival and departure of flights at 23:26 on 16 October. Sheremetyevo introduced similar restrictions at 01:58 on 17 October.
Restrictions at all four airports were lifted at 06:57. At Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky, they lasted 7 hours and 31 minutes, whilst all four airports operated under restrictions for a combined total of 4 hours and 59 minutes.
Statement regarding 144 drones
Sergey Sobyanin Throughout the night, he reported on the air defence operations. He later claimed that 144 UAVs had allegedly been destroyed, which, he said, were heading for Moscow.
This figure is based on a statement by the Mayor of Moscow and has not been independently verified. The Russian authorities have not released any detailed information regarding the areas where the debris fell or any potential damage.
Flight delays and a series of night-time disruptions
According to MSK1’s figures, based on the online flight information display, there have been around 250 delayed or cancelled flights at Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo. This figure does not include Zhukovsky.
According to The Kyiv Independent, the night of 16–17 October was the sixth consecutive night on which air traffic restrictions were in place over Moscow.
The publication «Agency», which calculated the duration of the restrictions based on reports from Rosaviatsia, reported that during the first 14 days of October, the four airports were completely closed for a total of 101 hours and 38 minutes. For the whole of September, this figure stood at 46 hours and 33 minutes, indicating the cumulative impact of repeated night-time disruptions on the timetable.
