Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports suspended arrivals and departures for a second consecutive night, with the restrictions coming after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's warnings that Russian airspace is becoming increasingly unsafe for civilian aviation.
Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency, Rosaviatsia, said temporary restrictions had been imposed on aircraft arrivals and departures at airports in the Moscow region. Three Moscow airports had suspended operations the previous night.
The disruptions caused significant delays and cancellations. According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, Sheremetyevo recorded 21 canceled flights and 235 delays, while Vnukovo canceled 22 flights and delayed another 94.
The latest restrictions follow Zelensky's warning on September 1 that Russian airspace was becoming “completely unsafe for civil aircraft” because of the war launched by Moscow and Ukraine's use of drones in response. He stressed that Ukraine did not intend to target passenger aircraft, but urged airlines and insurers to take the military risks into account.
The following day, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha said Kyiv had formally notified the UN's International Civil Aviation Organization that Russian airspace posed a danger to civilian aviation because of increased military activity. He said Ukraine wanted to prevent potential incidents and accused Russia of deliberately ignoring safety measures.
