In October, Ukrainian drones caused the cancellation of over 30,000 flights in Russia.
In October 2026, nearly 34,000 of the 69,200 scheduled flights in Russia were delayed or canceled. The main reason was regular restrictions on airport operations due to the threat of drone attacks.
Over the course of the month, Russian airports suspended or restricted operations nearly 500 times. The Moscow aviation hub was hit hardest by these measures.
According to published data, only 35,500 flights, or 51.3% of the total, were operated on schedule. Another 30,700 flights (44.4%) were delayed, and approximately 3,000 (4.4%) were canceled.
Thus, nearly every other flight in Russia during October was delayed or did not take place at all.
Throughout the month, Russian airports imposed temporary restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures 495 times. These measures affected 49 airports across the country.
The total duration of the restrictions amounted to 2,092 airport-hours. This figure reflects the total downtime across all airports, rather than the duration of a single period during which air traffic was suspended.
Compared to September, the number of restrictions imposed increased by 27%, and their total duration by 16%.
The Moscow aviation hub experienced the most problems. At the capital’s four airports, flights were restricted 82 times in October, and the total duration of these measures reached 262 hours.
This is the highest figure for Moscow’s airports since the beginning of 2025.
Regular air traffic restrictions have become one of the consequences of drone attacks on Russian territory. Due to the threat posed by drones, aviation authorities are forced to temporarily suspend flights, leading to delays, flight cancellations, and disruptions to airline schedules.
This was reported with reference to Russian propaganda media.
Video: All four Moscow airports have suspended flight operations due to a drone attack.
