Hundreds of flights were delayed at Moscow airports due to a massive attack by Ukrainian drones, which continued throughout the night and into the morning of May 28. According to the Vnukovo online board, 64 departure flights and 74 arrival flights were delayed from midnight. Some of the planes flying to Vnukovo were redirected to Sheremetyevo, which later also limited operations, and some were redirected to St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo Airport. The latter received 14 flights overnight as a backup airfield. About 30 departure flights and 39 arrival flights were delayed or cancelled at Domodedovo, more than 60 departure flights and 23 arrival flights were delayed at Sheremetyevo, and two departure flights and six arrival flights were delayed at Zhukovsky. The restrictions at the capital’s airports were lifted at 7:15 Moscow time, the Federal Air Transport Agency reported.
Aeroflot warned that the flight schedule would be adjusted due to temporary restrictions at the airports, “including by canceling and combining several flights.” Passengers were advised to monitor the schedule changes on the airline’s official website and airport information boards. Passengers of cancelled flights were promised that their tickets would be reissued or fully refunded if they refused to fly. Aeroflot noted that passengers of delayed and rerouted flights are provided with food and water, and they can also be accommodated in a hotel depending on the waiting time. Aeroflot’s subsidiary, Pobeda, also warned about schedule adjustments due to restrictions at Moscow airports. According to Shot, hundreds of people lined up at Sheremetyevo to change tickets for cancelled flights. In the “clean” zone of the airport, people began to be given water and food.
According to the Russian Defense Ministry, from 9 p.m. on May 27 to 7 a.m. on May 28, 296 drones were intercepted and destroyed over Russian territory. According to Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov, 42 drones were shot down over the region. In addition to the capital’s airports, restrictions on the arrival and departure of aircraft were introduced by the air harbors of Vladimir, Ivanovo, Kaluga, Kostroma and Yaroslavl. Before this, a collapse at Moscow airports due to a drone attack occurred on May 22. Then hundreds of people were stuck in Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Sheremetyevo amid the delay of more than 160 flights. Many had to wait almost a day for their flights.