MOSCOW, Russia, October 17, 2026 — Update to our October 16 story. Moscow’s airports were shut again overnight from October 16 into October 17, the second night running that all four major airports came under restrictions, as Ukrainian drones again targeted the capital. One report counts this as the sixth straight night of restrictions in Moscow’s skies.
What changed since our last update
- Three airports shut around midnight: Late on October 16, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) said Vnukovo (VKO), Domodedovo (DME) and Zhukovsky (ZIA) were suspending operations, citing flight safety. It gave no further reason.
- Sheremetyevo followed: Rosaviatsia did not at first restrict Sheremetyevo (SVO), but flight-tracking data showed disruption there, and Flightradar24 ranked it the world’s fifth-most disrupted airport. Rosaviatsia announced temporary restrictions at SVO at about 2:00 a.m. local time, Ukraine Today reports.
- Drones: Mayor Sergey Sobyanin said nearly 30 drones heading for Moscow had been intercepted as of 1:30 a.m. on October 17.
- Government response: The Transport Ministry put civil aviation in the Moscow region under “special monitoring” and sent extra staff to the airports. Long passenger queues and hundreds of delays were reported.
- Flight counts and end time: No total for cancelled flights from this second night has been published, and no end date for the restrictions has been given (TBA). The night before, almost 160 Moscow flights and 46 at St. Petersburg Pulkovo (LED) were cancelled or delayed, Meduza reported.
What it means for non-revs
- Night flights are the riskiest. The closures have come in the evening and overnight, so late departures and early-morning arrivals into Moscow are the most likely to be cancelled or held.
- Expect full flights in the morning. Passengers from overnight cancellations are being moved onto the next day’s flights, so standby seats will be scarce.
- Watch St. Petersburg too. Pulkovo was also restricted on the first night, so it is not a reliable fallback while the drone threat continues.
- Check your airline’s policy and your government’s travel advice before planning any trip into Russia.
Sources
- RBC-Ukraine — Moscow’s three main airports remain shut for a second day
- Ukraine Today — Moscow Airports Grounded Again as Ukraine Resumes Strikes
- Meduza — Moscow, St. Petersburg airports halt flights overnight amid drone attacks
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