All four Moscow airports closed citing security concerns

Russia temporarily suspended operations at five airports on Thursday, including all four serving Moscow, in an unprecedented move that highlighted the growing reach of the Ukraine conflict into Russian territory.

The Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) ordered the closure of Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports, along with Kaluga airport, located about 100 miles southwest of the capital. While Moscow’s airports resumed operations after a brief shutdown, Kaluga reopened later Thursday afternoon.

The closures coincided with reports of air defense activity across multiple Russian regions. Officials in the Kursk region reported intercepting three Ukrainian missiles, while air raid sirens sounded in Oryol, Sevastopol in Crimea, and Taganrog in the Rostov region bordering Ukraine.

“Aircraft crews, air traffic controllers and airport services take all necessary measures to ensure flight safety — this is the top priority,” Rosaviatsia stated on Telegram, without specifying the exact nature of the security threat.

The disruption comes at a critical moment in the conflict, which is approaching its two-year mark. Ukraine has increasingly demonstrated its capability to strike within Russian territory, with last month marking its largest drone attack on Moscow since the war’s escalation in 2022.

The airport closures occurred against the backdrop of growing controversy surrounding a recent Azerbaijan Airlines crash that killed 38 of 67 passengers. Matthew Borie, chief intelligence officer at Osprey Flight Solutions, suggested the incident might have involved a Russian air defense system, though the Kremlin has warned against such speculation.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian civilians faced their own challenges as Russian strikes on energy infrastructure left many without heat or power during Christmas celebrations on Wednesday, underscoring the ongoing humanitarian impact of the conflict.

The war, which began with Russia’s invasion in 2022 following its illegal annexation of Crimea in 2014, continues to escalate with both sides demonstrating enhanced military capabilities and strategic shifts in their approach to the conflict.