Key facts
- Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports experienced flight restrictions for a second consecutive night on September 2.
- Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned of a new campaign using drones to effectively close Russian airspace.
- Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed temporary restrictions on aircraft movements.
- Air Tanzania has temporarily suspended flights between Dar es Salaam and Moscow, citing safety considerations.
- Ukraine's Security Service (SBU) employs drone tactics.
Flights in and out of Moscow's Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo airports were subject to restrictions for a second consecutive night on September 2, following a warning from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky about a new campaign to "close" Russian skies. Zelensky stated that the campaign would involve a significant number of drones, urging airlines to consider Russian airspace effectively closed. Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) confirmed that temporary restrictions on aircraft arrivals and departures were in place. Air Tanzania has temporarily suspended flights between Dar es Salaam and Moscow, citing "safety considerations," becoming the first carrier to do so after Zelensky's threat. The airline's decision followed a diversion of one of its flights to St. Petersburg on September 3 due to airspace closures. While most Western airlines ceased flying to Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, Turkey's Pegasus Airlines had previously announced cancellations for some overnight flights on September 1-2, citing technical and operational reasons, though it stated flights from September 2 onwards would operate as scheduled. Live flight tracking data indicated widespread delays and cancellations at both Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo airports on September 3. This development occurs as both nations seek to increase pressure on each other, with Ukraine increasingly relying on long-range drones due to its limited long-range missile capabilities, a tactic it has been employing for over a year through operations aimed at disrupting Russian airport activities. Russia's Defense Ministry claimed to have intercepted and destroyed 490 Ukrainian drones overnight on September 4.