In the early hours of August 30, Moscow’s major international gateways—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo and Zhukovsky — briefly restricted the takeoff and landing of aircraft to safeguard operations and passenger safety. This measure was confirmed by the press service of the Federal Air Transport Agency and reported via Telegram. The temporary curbs affected the flow of arrivals and departures, with authorities explaining that the pause was a precautionary step to maintain orderly air traffic under unusual conditions and to ensure that every movement could be monitored and managed with heightened vigilance.
Officials noted that as a result of the restrictions, eleven passenger flights were diverted to alternative airports across other regions. The redirected services were managed with the same emphasis on safety and passenger care, with airline staff coordinating ground transport and onward connections to minimize disruption and keep travelers informed about evolving schedules and expected arrival times.
By 5 a.m., the airspace restrictions around Moscow’s central airports had been lifted, and normal operations resumed at all facilities. The affected flights were gradually reintroduced into their routes, with air traffic control maintaining strict sequencing to prevent congestion. Passengers who had been displaced or delayed were being transported to their intended destinations, and the overall impact on the day’s operations was being actively managed to restore full service levels as quickly as possible. This pinned timeline reflected careful planning and real-time coordination among airlines, airport authorities, and ground handling teams.
The Federal Air Transport Agency also stressed that throughout the temporary restrictions period, crews, air traffic controllers, and airport ground services took all required steps to preserve flight safety. This included enhanced surveillance, revised ground movement procedures, and continuous communication among the various operational units responsible for keeping flights moving in a safe, orderly fashion while adapting to shifting conditions on the ground and in the airspace above.
Beyond the capital, the August 30 schedule disruption extended to the broader region plan codenamed “Carpet,” which encompassed segments of the Tula region, Ryazan, portions of the Moscow region including Serpukhov and Kolomna, and parts of Kaluga region such as Kaluga and Obninsk. The aim was to coordinate a wider response to the day’s operational pressures, ensuring that secondary hubs could absorb traffic as needed while maintaining consistent safety standards and clear guidance for travelers and crew alike. The precise nature of this plan appeared to be aligned with broader national safety protocols, reinforcing the importance of preparedness and inter-regional collaboration during periods of elevated risk.
In the wake of the night’s events, reports indicated that Ukrainian unmanned aerial systems launched a substantial strike across five central Russian regions and the Pskov area. In the aftermath, a notable number of Il-76 military transport aircraft sustained damage at the Pskov airport, underscoring the severity of the incident and the ripple effects across military and civilian aviation infrastructure. In other locations, air defense forces successfully intercepted several drones, neutralizing further threats and contributing to the stabilization of overall regional security during the event. These developments underscored the persistent challenges faced by aviation and defense systems in maintaining secure skies while managing civilian air traffic under stress.
Earlier updates had noted an increase in bird strikes affecting Russian flight operations. While avian encounters are a recurring risk for airports, authorities emphasized that all safety protocols were being rigorously applied to minimize any additional hazards during this period of heightened activity and to protect both crews and passengers as travel continued to resume and recover from the disruption. This combination of human oversight, proactive routing adjustments, and rapid response measures illustrates how airports adapt under pressure while maintaining full accountability for safety and service quality.