RT.com
23 Oct 2026

All four international airports of the Russian capital had been forced to halt operations during the attack

All four of Moscow's international airports - Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky - have resumed operations after a drone attack on Friday. An alert triggered an evacuation from Sheremetyevo, Russia's busiest airport, which appeared to be the main target of the latest Ukrainian raid.

The alarm prompted the airports to temporarily suspend all operations, halting arrivals and departures, according to Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency. The shutdown affected all four international airports serving the Russian capital, which together handle roughly 200,000 passengers and more than 1,000 aircraft arrivals and departures on a typical day.

Sheremetyevo announced an evacuation during the raid, escorting passengers off aircraft and leading them to shelters. The evacuation order was lifted later in the day, with airport officials warning that flight delays and schedule disruptions could persist as airlines worked to restore normal operations.

Sheremetyevo, located northwest of Moscow, is the main hub for Russia's flag carrier Aeroflot. It handles around 111,000 passengers daily, serving destinations across the country as well as in Asia, the Middle East, and other regions.

Domodedovo, southeast of the capital, handles approximately 39,000 passengers daily, while Vnukovo, southwest of Moscow, serves around 49,000. Both operate domestic and international services, including flights to Trkiye, Central Asia, and the Middle East.

Zhukovsky, the smallest of the four airports, is located southeast of Moscow near the city of the same name. It handles approximately 4,000 passengers daily, primarily on routes connecting Russia with neighboring countries and other international destinations.

The airports have urged passengers to follow official announcements and check flight information directly with their airlines, as schedules remain subject to change.

Moscow's three largest airports - Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, and Vnukovo - handled a combined 40.4 million passengers in the first seven months of 2026, down 3.5% from the same period last year, according to Rosaviatsia figures analyzed by Interfax. Domodedovo recorded the steepest decline, with passenger traffic falling 13.2% to 6.9 million. Vnukovo saw a 1.4% drop to just over 9 million passengers, while Sheremetyevo, the capital's busiest airport, reported a 1% decline to 24.5 million.

Russian air defenses shot down 155 Ukrainian drones over Moscow and the surrounding region overnight, according to Russian authorities. Earlier on Friday, Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that 19 of the UAVs had been intercepted on approach to the capital.

Moscow-bound flights have been diverted to other airports, including Pulkovo in St. Petersburg, which confirmed it was receiving aircraft originally destined for the Russian capital.