Moscow Airports
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Ukraine's long-range drone attacks over the weekend put major Moscow airports into chaos as flight cancellations and delays stranded thousands of passengers.

According to Russia's defence ministry, they downed 117 of Ukraine's drones overnight and 172 the day before. Thirty of last night's drones were deployed over Moscow.

Four Moscow airports were greatly affected by the attacks, with flight disruptions causing many passengers to be stranded or forced to sleep on terminal floors.

Russia launched their own attack overnight on Monday, unleashing 450 drones and missiles on Ukraine's capital, Kyiv. While most were shot down, 23 hit across three locations, killing at least two and wounding 16.

As war continues to rage, international travel to Russia remains unpredictable and unsafe, with many countries continuing to advise their citizens against travelling there for any reason.

Flight Restrictions Cause Chaos For Passengers

Thousands of passengers were forced to sleep on the floor or join long queues as Russia's civil aviation authority, Rosaviatsiya, briefly imposed restrictions on both domestic and international flights overnight.

Four of Moscow's major airports, Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovskiy, were affected by cancellations and delays.

Images published by The Sun show passengers sleeping or waiting in long airport lines at Sheremetyevo, Russia's busiest airport by passenger numbers, as well as Ukraine's drones striking Russian soil.

Passengers across Russia were impacted, with thousands in Eastern Russia left stranded due to flight cancellations in European Russia and extra trains put on to Moscow from St. Petersburg in Northern Russia, Russian media reported.

As Ukraine and Russia continue to deploy drone attacks, with Russia attacking Kyiv with hundreds of its own drones and missiles overnight, international travel to Russia will likely continue to face disruptions.

Governments Advise Against Travelling To Russia

Many countries, including the UK and the US, warn against travelling to Russia for any reason.

The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises Brits against travelling to Russia due to threats from the war against Ukraine, including security incidents like drone strikes and Russian air defence activity.

They also warn that there is a lack of flights out of Russia for Brits to return to the UK, limited support for travellers from the UK Government, and a high likelihood of terrorists carrying out attacks, especially on major cities.

'The British Embassy in Moscow and British Consulate in Ekaterinburg are open, but the situation could change at short notice,' the FCDO warns Brits.

'In-person UK government support in Russia is limited. It is very limited in parts of Russia because of the security situation and the size of the country, particularly in the North Caucasus,' they add.

The US Department of State (DOS) warns Americans not to travel to Russia for any reason in its Russian Travel Advisory.

They list four reasons as to why:

  • Danger associated with the continuing war between Russia and Ukraine.
  • The risk of harassment or wrongful detention by Russian security officials.
  • The arbitrary enforcement of local laws.
  • The possibility of terrorism.

DOS warns Americans about drone strikes and explosions in major Russian cities, including Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Like the UK, government help for US citizens in Russia is incredibly limited.

'The US Embassy in Moscow has reduced its staff and the Russian government has restricted travel for embassy personnel. All US consulates in Russia have suspended operations, including consular services,' DOS outlines.

'Do not travel to Russia for any reason,' they add in bold.

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