Drone attacks paralyze Moscow air traffic at Sheremetyevo Airport

Drone attacks on Moscow caused complete paralysis of air traffic at Sheremetyevo Airport on Saturday, with at least 11 drones reportedly shot down en route to the city. The disruption follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's September warning that Russian airspace would become unsafe. Russian authorities confirmed one drone crashed near the airport, while the independent Telegram channel Astra reported the downing of multiple drones. Flight operations collapsed midday with widespread cancellations and no aircraft airborne for hours, while other regional airports were ordered to hold planes bound for Moscow. Passengers faced delays of 16 to 20 hours starting overnight, with ripple effects spreading across the country. The airspace congestion began easing by afternoon, but the airport continues struggling with a massive backlog. Zelenskyy had previously announced Ukraine's intention to close Russian airspace to flights.