Moscow Airports Still Reeling from Historic Drone Attack Impacting Thousands of Travelers

Moscow’s four primary airports faced significant challenges in resuming normal operations on Thursday, a day after Ukraine’s largest drone assault caused extensive travel disruptions, as reported by Russian transportation officials.

According to the Russia’s Association of Tour Operators, around 60,000 passengers were affected by approximately 350 delayed or canceled flights across various airports in the nation. Russian military sources claimed they intercepted 524 Ukrainian drones, which led civil aviation authorities to temporarily suspend flights.

«The flights that failed to reach their destinations on schedule will cause subsequent delays for other connections,» stated the Association of Tour Operators. «This chain reaction of delays resembles a domino effect.»

Some travelers experienced delays stretching beyond 30 hours, with about 12% of all flights to and from the Russian capital being canceled on Wednesday.

By Thursday morning, Russia’s Transportation Ministry reported that over 14,000 travelers were still stranded on nearly 100 incoming and outgoing flights at Moscow airports, projecting a return to normal operations by 6:00 p.m. local time.

However, the Association of Tour Operators noted that around 150 additional flights in and out of Moscow were canceled on Thursday.

Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines canceled nearly 40 flights connecting Russia with four Turkish cities on Thursday and Friday, affecting more than 15,000 passengers.

These ongoing travel issues coincided with President Vladimir Putin hosting numerous world leaders for the May 9 Victory Day parade. Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić was reportedly among those impacted, making a stop in Azerbaijan before arriving in Moscow late on Wednesday.