---
title: "Carpet Mode in Moscow: Over 120 Flights Delayed Due to Drone Attack on Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo"
description: "More than 120 flights were cancelled or delayed at Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports due to a drone attack, with the \"Carpet\" mode introduced. Mayor Sobyanin reported drones shot down."
date: 2026-09-02T22:04:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/moscow-airports-carpet-mode-drone-attack-120-flights
tags: [moscow-airports, drone-attack, vnukovo, sheremetyevo, aviation-disruption, plan-kover]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Carpet Mode in Moscow: Over 120 Flights Delayed Due to Drone Attack on Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo

![Night view of Vnukovo Airport terminal in Moscow during the 'Carpet' security mode after a drone attack and flight delays](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/03/moskva-aeroporty-kovert-ataka-dronov-120-rejsov/moskva-aeroporty-kovert-ataka-dronov-120-rejsov-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The "Carpet" plan was introduced at Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo at 22:27, affecting more than 120 flights (around 40 departures, over 80 arrivals).
- Mayor Sobyanin reported 9 drones shot down on the evening of September 2 and 10 by 00:27 on September 3.
- Sources disagree on the figures: from "more than 100" to "more than 120" flights, as well as the number of UAVs shot down (9 vs 10).

On the night of September 3, a special air traffic management mode — the "Carpet" plan — was introduced at Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports. According to the editorial team's calculations, schedule adjustments affected more than 120 flights: around 40 departures and over 80 arrivals. Passengers had already boarded several aircraft before both airports were switched to a restricted operating mode at 22:27 local time.

### Massive UAV attack and the "Carpet" mode

According to Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, on the evening of September 2 the air defense system shot down 9 drones heading toward the capital. By 00:27 on September 3, the city head reported 10 drones shot down. The "Carpet" plan in Russia is a special air traffic mode introduced during a serious threat, including during UAV attacks or the appearance of unidentified airborne objects. Once declared, civilian aircraft must immediately leave the designated zone or land, and airport operations may be fully restricted.

### Scale of schedule disruptions

In total, adjustments at the two Moscow hubs affected more than 120 flights. Some departures were cancelled, and a significant number of arrivals were delayed. Passengers already on board were forced to wait on the ground until the restrictions were lifted. Such mass disruptions, observers note, are becoming increasingly common during periods of intensified drone attacks on Russian cities.

### Official statements

Recall that on September 1, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that Russian airspace is becoming dangerous for civilian aviation due to the massive presence of Ukrainian drones. Earlier, RBC-Ukraine reported that the number of cancellations at Moscow airports had sharply increased after Zelenskyy's statement about "closing the sky" over Russia, with roughly 30 flights not taking off at that time. Thus, the scale of disruptions over the following 24 hours grew several times over.

### Contradictory data

Sources disagree on the number of affected flights. According to the editorial team's calculations based on current data, more than 120 flights are involved (around 40 departures and over 80 arrivals). Meanwhile, a number of publications, including RBC-Ukraine, use the phrasing "more than 100 flights" in their headlines. Data on the number of drones shot down also differ: initially 9 were reported, then 10. The discrepancy may be explained either by the refinement of information as it arrives or by differences in counting methods. Exact final figures have not been confirmed by a single official source as of publication.

### Context: Kyiv's statements and market reaction

These events are unfolding against the backdrop of Kyiv's statements about the systemic impact of drone activity on the safety of civilian aviation in the Russian Federation. For passengers, this means a higher risk of delays and cancellations, and for airlines — additional costs and logistics restructuring. Experts recommend that passengers check flight status in real time before departure and allow extra time for connections.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [Drone attack on Moscow leads to airport collapse: more than 100 flights cancelled](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/ataka-droniv-moskvu-prizvela-kolapsu-aeroportah-1788382500.html) - Подтверждает массовые отмены в столичных аэропортах из-за атаки дронов; в заголовке фигурирует «более 100 рейсов», что ниже подсчета редакции (120+).
- [How Moscow airports are operating on August 28 amid a massive UAV attack](https://fedpress.ru/news/77/incidents/3449641) - Подтверждает практику ограничений в аэропортах Москвы при атаках БПЛА, однако относится к дате 28 августа, т.е. к более раннему эпизоду — использовано как контекст.
- [Ukraine has developed a plan for a large-scale attack on Moscow airports using 1000 drones with ...](https://bloknot.ru/obshhestvo/ukraina-razrabotala-plan-masshtabnoj-ataki-na-moskovskie-aeroporty-s-ispolzovaniem-1000-dronov-s-ii-1534600.html) - Утверждение о плане на 1000 дронов не подтверждено независимыми источниками; в статью как факт не включено.
- [Moscow without power, airports under restrictions, departure from Yaroslavl blocked: a restless night in the Russian Federation](https://tsn.ua/ru/svit/moskva-bez-sveta-aeroporty-pod-ogranicheniyami-iz-yaroslavlya-perekryli-vyezd-nespokoynaya-noch-v-rf-3151280.html) - Подтверждает ограничения в аэропортах и неспокойную ночь в РФ; детали по числу рейсов не раскрываются.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: What is the "Carpet" plan and when is it introduced?
**A:** The "Carpet" plan is a special air traffic mode introduced during a serious threat, including during UAV attacks or the appearance of unidentified airborne objects. Civilian aircraft must immediately leave the zone or land, and airport operations may be fully restricted.

### Q: How many flights were affected by the disruptions in Moscow?
**A:** According to the editorial team's calculations, more than 120 flights: around 40 departures and over 80 arrivals. A number of publications use the figure "more than 100 flights".

### Q: How many drones, according to Moscow's mayor, were shot down?
**A:** On the evening of September 2, Sobyanin reported 9 drones shot down, and by 00:27 on September 3 — 10.

### Q: Exactly when was the "Carpet" mode introduced?
**A:** At 22:27 local time, the mode was introduced at Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports.