--- title: "Moscow Closes All Four Airports Due to Record Drone Raid" description: "On the evening of November 12, Moscow faced a record-breaking drone attack. Due to the raid, all four airports in the Russian capital were closed, leading to delays of dozens of flights." date: 2026-11-12T21:16:55.673Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/moscow-closes-airports-drone-raid tags: [moscow, drone-attack, airports, russia, aviation] author: "Roman V., Andrey Kosynko" publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Moscow Closes All Four Airports Due to Record Drone Raid ![Night view of the illuminated Vnukovo airport building with a parking lot in front](https://xab.info/media/2026/11/12/moskva-zakryla-vse-aeroporty-iz-za-naleta-dronov/moskva-zakryla-vse-aeroporty-iz-za-naleta-dronov-1.webp) ## Key Points - On the evening of November 12, all four main airports in Moscow were closed due to a massive drone raid. - According to Mayor Sobyanin, air defense shot down 46 drones, later rising to 51; a drone threat regime was declared in the Moscow region. - The largest delays are at Vnukovo (about a dozen arrival flights) and Sheremetyevo (about two dozen), with isolated delays at Domodedovo and no problems at Zhukovsky. - The scenario repeats the raids of November 2 and October 29, when drone attacks also paralyzed the capital's aviation. On the evening of November 12, Moscow was subjected to a massive drone attack, which online sources are calling record-breaking in terms of the number of devices. As a result, operations at all four main Moscow airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky—were simultaneously restricted, causing delays to dozens of flights. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the Russian media outlet MSK1.RU. ### Course of the Attack and Statements on Air Defense According to Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, air defense forces shot down 46 drones heading toward the city in less than an hour. Later, the total number of allegedly destroyed drones rose to 51. Amid the raid, a drone threat regime was declared in the Moscow region. ### What Is Happening at the Airports Vnukovo Airport was the first to switch to a special operating mode, after which similar restrictions were introduced at the others. According to online departure boards, the most difficult situation has developed at Vnukovo: about a dozen flights are delayed for arrival, and the board shows a solid line of delays. Sheremetyevo is reporting delays of about two dozen planes, mostly arrivals, although most flights are operating on schedule. Domodedovo is seeing isolated delays, while Zhukovsky reportedly has no schedule issues. ### Repetition of the Scenario Such disruptions in Russian aviation due to drone raids are not being recorded for the first time. On the evening of November 2, a drone attack also paralyzed all four Moscow airports, two of which were completely closed for arrivals and departures; back then, air defense reportedly shot down 46 UAVs in a few hours. On October 29, due to a record drone attack in Russia, more than 460 flights were delayed or canceled, the consequences of which were simultaneously felt by the airports of Moscow and St. Petersburg. Thus, the raid on November 12 became another episode in a repeating scenario where the massive use of drones leads to the temporary shutdown of the capital's aviation infrastructure and mass passenger delays. ## Fact-Check & Sources - [В Москве закрыли все аэропорты, в сети пишут о рекордном "налете" дронов](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/moskvi-zakrili-vsi-aeroporti-cherez-rekordniy-1794517027.html) - Primary source basis: closure of all four airports, Sobyanin's statements (46, then 51 UAVs), drone threat regime, board delays. - [Закрыли все аэропорты из-за атаки беспилотников: сотни рейсов отменены, десятки задержаны в ...](https://ircity.ru/text/incidents/2026/10/30/76734001/) - Context on the October 29-30 raid: restrictions at Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, air defense operations; used to confirm the repeating scenario. - [Похоже на M&M's: в Москве из-за БпЛА закрыли аэропорты и не пускают самолет Путина, — росСМИ (видео)](https://focus.ua/voennye-novosti/770670-aeroporty-moskvy-zakrylis-iz-za-naleta-dronov-i-aerostatov-video) - Подтверждено по источнику focus.ua ## FAQ ### Which Moscow airports were closed on November 12? Restrictions affected all four main airports—Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Zhukovsky. Vnukovo was the first to transition to special mode. ### How many drones were reportedly shot down according to authorities? Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported 46 downed drones in less than an hour, later increasing the total to 51. ### Where were the flight delays greatest? At Vnukovo, about a dozen arrival flights were delayed; at Sheremetyevo, about two dozen (mostly arrivals); Domodedovo had isolated delays, while Zhukovsky reported no problems.