Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency imposed flight restrictions at multiple airports, including all four in Moscow and Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, for the sixth consecutive night on Oct. 16–17, citing security risks. The agency announced late on Oct. 16 that Vnukovo, Domodedovo, and Zhukovsky airports suspended operations, later adding Sheremetyevo at around 2 a.m. local time. Flightradar24 data showed Sheremetyevo experiencing “major problems,” ranking it the fifth-most disrupted airport globally .

The restrictions followed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Oct. 15 announcement that Ukraine would resume strikes on Russian oil refineries. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported nearly 30 drones intercepted over the capital by 1:30 a.m. on Oct. 17, with nearly 100 drones shot down the previous night. Russia’s Transportation Ministry placed civil aviation in Moscow Oblast under “special monitoring” and deployed additional staff to airports .

On Oct. 16, Rosaviatsiya grounded flights at all four Moscow airports and Pulkovo, disrupting almost 200 flights, with 66 delays at Vnukovo and 79 at Sheremetyevo. Leningrad region Governor Alexander Drozdenko said four drones were downed over the area . Earlier, Euromaidan Press reported 27 Russian airports restricted operations overnight, with over 200 Moscow flights canceled or delayed .