Aviation chaos in Russia due to the arrival of Ukrainian drones: 350 flights canceled

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Ukraine has been taking the war to the invader's territory for some time now, but this Wednesday the situation has been especially complicated for Russia. Today, tens of thousands of Russian citizens have begun to feel the effects of the war started by Putin. These effects have been felt specifically at airports, which have canceled flights en masse due to the entry of Ukrainian drones. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia (ATORUS) has announced the details of the situation today:

The day before, on the evening of May 6, Moscow airports suspended aircraft reception and departures due to the risk of a drone attack. Restrictions were initially introduced at Vnukovo, Zhukovsky, and Domodedovo, and later at Sheremetyevo. The restrictions remained in place until at least 5:30 a.m. Moscow time. Also in the afternoon, Sochi Airport was closed, and in the evening, Kazan Airport. In the morning, Kirov and Nizhnekamsk Airports were closed.

In total, this affected the departures of at least 350 flights and the plans of at least 60,000 passengers, including those flying on popular tourist connecting routes via Istanbul and Dubai.

The effects of the chaos that began yesterday continue this afternoon, as reported by the ATORUS:

The average flight delay at Russia's five largest airports at 4:30 p.m. on May 7 was two hours for arrivals and 40 minutes for departures. The wait for departures from Moscow is longer. One in three flights in the capital is delayed or canceled.

ATORUS states that "the problem will be largely resolved after midnight (excluding canceled flights)", but does not explain what will happen if more Ukrainian drones arrive in the Moscow area. The Association adds: "The average delay time at Moscow airports (Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo) is three hours for departure and 20 minutes for arrival."

ATORUS adds that the Russian Ministry of Transport has blamed the airlines for the situation, for which they bear no responsibility, as those companies do not operate Russian airports or air defenses. ATORUS adds: "The Ministry of Transport did not explain exactly what and in what order the airports that were urgently closed due to the threat of a drone attack and the airlines that found themselves unable to fly as planned due to this should act. They simply advised me to do better." This gives an idea of ​​the Russian government's inability to cope with this situation.

This morning, a Russian internet user published this video showing the situation at Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports in Moscow:

Хаос в аэропортах Внуково и Домодедово, где из-за атак дронов пассажиры не могут улететь. Некоторые ждут вылета со вчера

Немало пассажиров находиться в аэропортах с детьми. Людям приходится спать на лестницах, полу и возле стоек регистрации. Задержки рейсов составляют 12 часов. pic.twitter.com/BVlqB9Fqa5

— Пан Пачковский (@Q0MT6pFmbVqynsM) May 7, 2025

This Internet user explains what happened as follows:

Chaos at Vnukovo and Domodedovo airports, where drone attacks are preventing passengers from boarding. Some have been waiting for their flights since yesterday.

There are many passengers with children at airports. People have to sleep on the stairs, on the floor, and near the check-in counters. Flight delays can be up to 12 hours.

At 11:25 CET, the popular Russian Telegram channel Baza published this video stating: "A queue of several dozen planes has formed at Pulkovo. One of the main reasons is the lack of stairs. The fact is that there are more than 50 “extra” planes at St. Petersburg Airport due to the closure of Moscow airports". Baza adds: "The planes are forced to taxi to their parking areas, turn off their engines, and simply wait. The waiting time for the jetway can be up to two hours."

В Пулково скопилась очередь из нескольких десятков самолётов. Одна из основных причин — нехватка трапов.

Дело в том, что в аэропорту находится более 50 «лишних» самолётов, которые приземлились в Петербурге из-за закрытия московских аэропортов. pic.twitter.com/7oPFr9Ly7i

— Пан Пачковский (@Q0MT6pFmbVqynsM) May 7, 2025

Long waiting times and alcohol consumption have already led to some fights between passengers and airport staff. The partial closure of Russian airspace has also created a striking image. At 17:20 CET, this is how air traffic in Russia looked at flightradar24.com:

As we can see in the image, a 300-kilometer no-commercial-flight zone has formed around Ukraine in Russia, due to the entry of Ukrainian drones into Russian territory.

These events take place just two days before the Victory Parade scheduled for this Friday in Moscow, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazism. A military action that constitutes a legitimate objective for Ukraine, whose President, Volodymyr Zelensky, already warned last Saturday: "We do not recommend visiting Russia from a security point of view. And if you decide to go, it is your personal decision; do not ask us for guarantees."