Russian airports shut down nearly a thousand times in August amid Ukrainian drone alerts
In August, Russian civil aviation faced 993 temporary airport closures after authorities responded to Ukrainian drone threats, marking the most disruptive month since the invasion began.
August saw an unprecedented wave of temporary airport closures in Russia, with 993 incidents recorded at 32 facilities after Ukrainian drone threats triggered the anti-aircraft "Kover" protocol. This represents a six-fold increase over the average monthly closures in 2025, according to The Insider analysis. Summer figures from Osprey Flight Solutions indicate 2,182 closures, already exceeding the total for the previous year.
The repeated shutdowns caused airlines to cancel dozens of flights daily, while passengers reported grounded aircraft and delayed landings on social media. Rail demand rose, with the Moscow-St. Petersburg passenger count falling by roughly 20-23% and train bookings increasing by about 20%. Foreign carriers such as Pegasus, Flydubai and Air India have adjusted or halted services to Russia following the heightened operational risks.
