---
title: "Nighttime Drone Attack on Moscow: Four Airports Suspended Operations, Air Defense Reports Dozens of UAVs Shot Down"
description: "On the evening of October 15, Moscow faced a large-scale drone attack that continued after midnight. According to the mayor, air defenses shot down about 47 UAVs, and all four capital airports temporarily suspended operations."
date: 2026-10-15T22:09:13.212Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/nighttime-drone-attack-moscow-airports-closed
tags: [moscow, drone-attack, airports, sobyanin, russia, ukraine-war]
author: "Andrey Kosynko"
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# Nighttime Drone Attack on Moscow: Four Airports Suspended Operations, Air Defense Reports Dozens of UAVs Shot Down

![A firefighter in a protective helmet with the EMERCOM of Russia inscription extinguishes a fire with a water jet during the aftermath of a nighttime drone attack on Moscow](https://xab.info/media/2026/10/15/nochnaya-ataka-dronov-na-moskvu-aeroporty-vremenno-zakryty/nochnaya-ataka-dronov-na-moskvu-aeroporty-vremenno-zakryty-1.webp)

## Key Points

- On the evening of October 15, Moscow experienced a large-scale UAV attack that continued past midnight.
- Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported in a series of Telegram posts on the downing of dozens of drones; by 0:15, the total reached 47 according to the publication.
- All four airports of the Moscow hub (Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, Zhukovsky) temporarily suspended operations per Rosaviatsiya reports.
- The attack followed a series of strikes on Moscow on the nights of October 13 and 14; earlier, a plane carrying V. Putin was diverted to St. Petersburg due to drones.

On the evening of October 15, Moscow was subjected to a large-scale drone attack that continued past midnight. According to the publication, by 0:15 on Friday, the total number of downed drones, based on reports from city authorities, reached 47 units. The capital's mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, provided step-by-step updates on the events via his Telegram channel, RBC-Ukraine reports.

### Series of Updates from Moscow's Mayor

Sobyanin published information about air defense operations in parts. First, he reported the destruction of 10 drones heading toward Moscow and noted that emergency services specialists were working at the debris crash sites. About 20 minutes later, a report followed about another 11 downed devices, and then another 16. At 0:15, the mayor wrote: "Ministry of Defense air defenses shot down 12 UAVs heading toward Moscow. Emergency services specialists are working at the debris crash site."

### Four Airports Suspended Operations

Due to the drone raid, all four airports of the Moscow aviation hub temporarily ceased operations, Rosaviatsiya reported. These are Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky. Temporary restrictions on receiving and departing flights have become a standard security measure during an airborne threat and typically lead to delays and rescheduled departures.

### Context: Series of Attacks on the Capital

The nighttime attack on October 15 was a continuation of a series of strikes against Moscow and the Moscow region. On the night of October 14, according to available data, hundreds of strike drones were directed at the capital and the surrounding region, and on the night of October 13, the city was attacked by dozens of drones. Thus, over the course of several days, the capital found itself under continuous pressure from airborne attacks.

### Impact on Air Traffic and Flight Redirections

Restrictions related to drone attacks have previously affected air traffic operations. Recently, the plane carrying Vladimir Putin back from Turkmenistan was unable to land in Moscow immediately and was diverted to St. Petersburg—reportedly due to airport restrictions imposed in connection with the drone attack. The incident demonstrated how airborne threats affect not only civilian but also official flights.

## Fact-Check & Sources

- [В Москве прекращена работа сразу четырех аэропортов из-за атаки дронов](https://www.rbc.ua/ukr/news/moskvi-pripineno-robotu-odrazu-chotiroh-aeroportiv-1792100991.html) - Primary source: Sobyanin's Telegram posts (10, then 11, then 16, at 0:15 — 12 downed UAVs; total per publication is 47 by 0:15) and Rosaviatsiya data on suspended operations at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky. UAV numbers are one-sided; the source uses caveats.

## FAQ

### What happened to Moscow's airports?

According to Rosaviatsiya, all four airports of the Moscow aviation hub — Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky — temporarily suspended operations due to the drone attack.

### How many drones were reported shot down over Moscow?

Mayor Sergei Sobyanin published a series of updates: first 10, then another 11, later another 16, and at 0:15 — 12 downed UAVs. According to the publication, by 0:15 the total reached 47.

### When did the attack occur?

On the evening of October 15, 2026; the UAV raid continued past midnight.