Ukrainian drone strikes leave over 60,000 passengers stranded at Russian airports

The Russian association of tour operators estimated that the closure of several airports over the past few days has disrupted the plans of at least 60,000 passengers, according to The Moscow Times. The disruptions have affected at least 350 flights.

“There’s no chance the disruption in civil aviation will simply end with all aircraft that were diverted to alternate airports returning to their ‘home base,’” the association noted, warning that the delays will spark further delays in a domino effect. They urged travelers to check the status of their flights.

The association also recalled that on May 6, due to the threat of drone attacks, Moscow airports Vnukovo, Zhukovsky, Domodedovo, and Sheremetyevo were shut down. Later in the evening, airports in Sochi were affected, followed overnight by Kazan, and by Wednesday morning, Kirov and Nizhnekamsk.

• Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on Russian territory since the full-scale invasion began, taking advantage of exposed air defenses as Moscow shifted key systems to shield the May 9 Victory Day parade.