Drone attack disrupts over 460 flights at Moscow and St. Petersburg airports

More than 460 flights were delayed or canceled at Moscow and St. Petersburg airports on Thursday, October 29, amid a drone attack on Russia, according to the Astra Telegram channel citing airports.ru data. The restrictions most affected Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports, while St. Petersburg's Pulkovo received planes unable to land in the capital. Russia's aviation agency lifted flight limits at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky at 6:46 a.m. local time, though delays continued into the evening. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed 1,214 drones were shot down over 18 regions and Moscow overnight. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned on September 1 that Russian airspace was unsafe, after which Ukraine officially notified ICAO, with reports suggesting a plan to launch up to a thousand small drones daily to paralyze Moscow airports and pressure the Kremlin.