Ukraine Drone Strikes Threaten to Turn Moscow into a 'No Fly' Zone

Ukraine's intensifying long-range drone campaign against Russian cities is wreaking havoc on Moscow airports, which are now subject to regular disruptions and even total closures for fear of UAV strikes.

On Friday morning, two of the capital's airports were temporarily closed because of suspected Ukrainian drone strikes, one of which reportedly hit a factory producing microchips used in Russian missiles.

All four of the capital's airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky—were put under temporary restrictions early on Friday, according to the state-run Tass news agency, causing flight delays and cancellations. Tass reported that 66 flights had been canceled or delayed across the four airports, with more than 10 incoming flights diverted to land elsewhere. The restrictions have since been lifted, Tass said.

Such disruptions are now routine for passengers using the capital's hubs as drone attacks on Moscow and other cities in the west of Russia have become increasingly common. Every fresh attack triggers a so-called "carpet" protocol temporarily suspending air traffic.

"The drones have targeted primarily military and government buildings and infrastructure," risk management firm Crisis24 wrote in a Thursday bulletin. "However, debris from intercepted drones or air defense missiles can cause explosions, subsequent fires, and casualties on the ground. Heightened security and transport and business disruptions will likely continue in response to the threat and incidents."

Sergej Sumlenny, the founder of the European Resilience Initiative Center, wrote on social media last week that successive waves of airport closures had effectively created a "no-fly-zone over Moscow."

Airport disruptions are among a litany of challenges facing the Russian aviation industry. Western nations imposed a raft of sanctions on Russia after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which have limited the access of Russian airlines to new aircraft, spare parts and engineers.

Passengers have been stranded after technical failures of Western-made Russian aircraft, and the number of destinations offered by airlines has dropped significantly. In 2022, Russian airlines reported a 14 percent fall in passenger numbers compared with the year before.

Newsweek has contacted Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsiya, by email to request comment.

Ukrainian officials rarely confirm or deny involvement in specific attacks on Russian territory. The rate of suspected drone strikes has been increasing in recent months, with leaders in Kyiv hinting at more to come.

On Wednesday, Mykhailo Podolyak—an adviser to the head of Ukraine's presidential office—said: "The war is increasingly moving to Russia's territory, and it cannot be stopped."

The threat echoed that made by President Volodymyr Zelensky in August, when he said: "Ukraine is getting stronger, and the war is gradually returning to Russia's territory, to its symbolic centers and military bases. This is an inevitable, natural, and absolutely fair process."

Moscow—which has been waging a drone and missile bombing campaign against Ukrainian cities for 18 months—has vowed a response to the uptick in alleged Ukrainian strikes against Russian settlements.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said this week that the attacks amounted to "continued terrorist activity of the Kyiv regime," adding that Russian President Vladimir Putin was receiving "timely and up-to-date information" on the latest developments.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova suggested a Western hand in the Ukrainian long-range campaign.

"It is also clear that Ukrainian drones could not travel such a distance without a carefully planned route based on information obtained from Western satellites," Zakharova said in a briefing.