Russia’s aviation authority, Rosaviatsia, temporarily closed all four of Moscow’s airports, on Thursday—Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky—as well as Kaluga Airport, located 160 kilometers southwest of the capital, disrupting flights in and out of Moscow, according to Russia’s aviation authority. Officials did not provide the specific reason for the closures.
Rosaviatsia issued a statement confirming that the closures were necessary to ensure flight safety, with all relevant airport and air traffic control services taking “all necessary measures.” While the airports in Moscow reopened after a brief period, Kaluga remained closed as of Thursday afternoon.
The closure of the airports coincided with air raid sirens sounding in the Oryol region, Sevastopol in Crimea, and Taganrog in southern Russia, regions that have been on high alert due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Russian media reported that Ukrainian missiles were shot down in the Kursk region, close to the Ukrainian border, but no casualties or damage were reported.
The timing of the airport closures raised speculation, particularly after a series of drone and missile attacks earlier in the war, including Ukraine’s largest drone strike on Moscow last month.
The temporary shutdown also occurred the same day the Kremlin issued a warning about speculation regarding the crash of an Azerbaijan Airlines flight that killed 38 people, with some suggesting a Russian anti-missile battery may have been involved.
While Rosaviatsia did not provide an explanation for the closures, officials pointed to flight safety as the primary concern. The closures came amidst heightened tensions in Russia, as the conflict with Ukraine continues to escalate.