Moscow airports suspend flights due to drone threat concerns
In a significant disruption on Thursday, December 26, Moscow's main airports—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky—suspended operations. The news agency RBC reports, citing a spokesperson from Rosaviatsiya, these airports have ceased both incoming and outgoing flights.
The airports, including Kaluga Airport, have implemented the "Carpet" emergency plan, typically activated in response to potential drone attack threats.
Initial reports of the operational restrictions at Moscow's airports came from Russian security-aligned Telegram channels Baza and Mash. They indicated that the "Carpet" plan was in effect at all Moscow airports and in Kaluga. However, the Russian Defense Ministry has not reported any potential drone threats in Moscow, or the surrounding Moscow and Kaluga regions.
Specifically, Mash reports that 27 flights are experiencing delays at Domodedovo, Sheremetyevo, and Vnukovo airports. As of 3:45 PM local time, the airports have halted the acceptance of incoming flights.