Russia in panic as 300 flights grounded over fears of imminent Ukraine attack
The Russian Federal Aviation Agency (Rosaviatsia) reports that several Russian airports have canceled flights due to safety concerns over drone strikes conducted by Ukrainian forces
The Russian Federal Aviation Agency (Rosaviatsia) reports that several Russian airports have canceled flights due to safety concerns over drone strikes conducted by Ukrainian forces. According to the agency, about 287 flights had been grounded across three major airports: Moscow's Sheremetyevo, St. Petersburg's Pulkovo, and Strigino Airport in Nizhny Novgorod.
According to the agency, the wave of closures was triggered by drone threats. Per the Kyiv Independent, the Russian Defense Ministry said that they had intercepted 120 drone strikes on Russian territory between Saturday, July 5 and Sunday.
While Ukrainian officials have yet to comment on the report, the drone strikes are a part of their much broader campaign to undermine Russia's logistics and disrupt civilian travel.
Reports indicate that flights at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport temporarily paused due to airspace restrictions over the capital and strong winds. At Sheremetyevo, 171 flights were canceled and 56 more were delayed, causing crowds of passengers to form at the airport.
It was also reported that 90 flights were canceled and 37 remain delayed due to safety concerns at Pulkovo. Nizhny Novgorod saw 26 flights canceled and 13 were delayed.
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The agency reported that flight restrictions have also been imposed on Russia's Ivanovo, Kaluga, Pskov, and Tambov airports. The cancellations and delays come as Ukraine also successfully struck a Russian air base and a gas and water pipeline.
Reports indicate that Ukraine managed to damage a gas pipeline and obliterate a water pipeline in Russia's Vladivostok, which served military installations in the vicinity, according to an intelligence source who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on July 5.
According to an intelligence source who spoke to the Kyiv Independent on July 5, Ukraine managed to damage a gas pipeline and obliterate a water pipeline in Russia's Vladivostok, which served military installations in the vicinity. Post-explosion fires ravaged sections of the Vladivostok gas pipeline near the Sea of Japan.
Additionally, the Ukrainian military's General Staff announced that their forces struck the Borisoglebsk air base in Russia's Voronezh region, which is known to host Russia's Su-34, Su-35S, and Su-30SM fighter jets. The General Staff shared details of the attack on Facebook, noting the damage inflicted on glide bomb storage, a training aircraft, and "possibly other aircraft."
These blasts took place in the early hours of July 5, between 1-2 a.m., with Russian special services and repair crews arriving soon after. The explosions coincided with the city of Vladivostok's 165th anniversary celebration on July 2.
Russian authorities have not yet issued a response to the allegations of the attack. These assaults on Russian air bases represent strategic efforts by Ukraine to diminish Russia's military capabilities and demonstrate their capacity to hit major targets deep within Russian borders.
