On the night of Friday, October 30, a massive Ukrainian drone attack paralyzed the operation of the Moscow aviation hub. According to RBC-Ukraine, citing Agency. News, at least 223 flights were canceled and another 233 were delayed across four capital airports. Restrictions on receiving and dispatching aircraft were introduced at 22:52 on Thursday, and the airports remained closed for nearly nine hours straight — one of the largest disruptions at the capital's aviation hub since early October.
Chronology of Closures and Lifting of Restrictions
The airspace over the capital was effectively closed immediately after the conclusion of the Russia-Africa summit. It was only by 08:09 that Rosaviatsiya reported lifting restrictions at Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo airports, while Vnukovo and Domodedovo continued operations under individual arrangements. Some aircraft heading to Moscow were redirected to alternate airfields: specifically, St. Petersburg's Pulkovo accepted 27 flights, causing significant queues there, while passengers were disembarked after a long wait and sent to the capital by alternative means.
Scale of Disruptions by Airport
The highest number of cancellations was recorded at Sheremetyevo with 170 flights. Vnukovo saw 48 departures canceled, Domodedovo had four, and Zhukovsky one. Meanwhile, the most delays occurred at Vnukovo, where 111 flights were delayed. For comparison, the previous significant disruption at the capital's aviation hub was recorded on October 17, when 221 flights were canceled.
Connection to the Russia-Africa Summit
The massive raid took place almost immediately after the conclusion of the Russia-Africa summit, which was held on October 28–29 with the participation of Vladimir Putin. According to the Kremlin, delegations from 48 out of 54 African states participated in the event, with 22 represented at the level of heads of state. The capital's airports were closed almost immediately after the event ended.
Official Statements on Air Defense Operations
According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, 862 drones were launched toward the Moscow region from Thursday evening to Friday morning; most of them, he said, were destroyed at long ranges, with another 170 during the approach to the capital. This is the second-highest figure during the war, following the attack on September 19–20, when over 1,600 drones were reported. Earlier, the previous evening and night, 613 drones were launched toward the capital according to the same data, and the Russian Ministry of Defense claimed the interception and destruction of 1,043 fixed-wing Ukrainian drones overnight.
Strike on an Oil Refinery in Samara Oblast
In addition to Moscow, drones attacked the city of Novokuybyshevsk in Samara Oblast on the night of October 30. As a result of the strike on the territory of a local oil refinery producing jet fuel for Russian aviation, a fire broke out.
