On July 5, Russia’s major airports, including Moscow’s Sheremetyevo and St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo, faced extensive flight delays and cancellations due to a reported threat of Ukrainian drone attacks. According to the pro-Kremlin Telegram channel Shot, some passengers had to wait over 10 hours as their flights were delayed. The incident is part of a larger narrative of Ukraine’s strategic use of drones to disrupt Russia’s logistics and infrastructure. This drone campaign, which has increasingly targeted civilian air travel in Russia, is a key component of Ukraine’s broader strategy to undermine Russia’s supply chains and logistics systems far beyond the front lines of the conflict.
The disruption at the airports followed a wave of Ukrainian drone attacks that had targeted military and industrial infrastructure in at least six Russian regions. Leningrad Oblast Governor Alexander Drozdenko stated that two drones were shot down south of St. Petersburg, leading to a temporary suspension of operations at Pulkovo Airport. The Russian Defense Ministry reported that it had intercepted 42 drones within three hours, primarily over the Belgorod, Bryansk, and Kursk oblasts near the Ukrainian border. These actions underscore the increasing threat that Ukraine’s drone campaign poses to Russia’s strategic and logistical apparatus.
Similar instances of disruption have occurred in the past. For example, a similar wave of drone strikes ahead of Russia’s Victory Day in May led to massive delays, affecting an estimated 60,000 travelers. This indicates a pattern of Ukraine’s use of drones to target Russia’s critical infrastructure and disrupt its domestic operations. Additionally, reports from Novaya Gazeta Europe cited that at least 217 temporary airport closures have occurred across Russia since January 1 due to drone threats, surpassing the numbers recorded in the previous years. These repeated disruptions emphasize the growing impact of Ukraine’s drone campaign on Russia’s transportation network and civilian life.