In May 2025, Moscow’s air travel system was thrown into turmoil following an unprecedented drone attack launched by Ukraine, marking the largest-ever such assault in the country’s history. The attack wreaked havoc at Moscow’s major airports, leading to widespread delays and cancellations that left tens of thousands of passengers stranded.

Over 60,000 travelers were impacted as nearly 350 flights were delayed or canceled in the wake of the drone strike. Airports in the Russian capital, including Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky, struggled to regain normal operations. The scale of the attack was so massive that it triggered a major disruption in both international and domestic air travel.

Russian authorities responded swiftly, deploying military forces to shoot down over 500 Ukrainian drones, but the chaos on the ground was not so easily contained. The sheer scale of the attack prompted officials to temporarily ground flights, exacerbating the situation for travelers across the region.

For the second consecutive day, Moscow’s airports faced unprecedented delays as they scrambled to regain control of flight schedules. Reports indicated that by Thursday morning, approximately 14,000 passengers remained stranded across nearly 100 flights. These disruptions were not limited to domestic travel; international flights were also severely affected.

Turkish Airlines and Pegasus Airlines, two major carriers operating between Russia and Turkey, had to cancel around 40 flights to and from Moscow and other Russian cities. Affected passengers flying to and from Istanbul, Ankara, and other Turkish cities were unable to board their scheduled flights, further intensifying the travel chaos. Altogether, around 15,000 passengers were left in limbo as their journeys were delayed indefinitely.