On the morning of February 22, 2025, temporary restrictions on the arrival and departure of flights were introduced at the airports of Kazan and Nizhnekamsk, two key air hubs of Tatarstan. The airports effectively suspended their operations, leaving passengers and airlines waiting. According to preliminary data, the reason for such radical measures was the threat of an attack by enemy unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), which forced the authorities to take urgent measures to ensure security. Officials have not yet disclosed the details of the incident, but the situation has already caused a serious resonance in the region.

The restrictions were reported to have come into effect early this morning after security services identified a potential threat. Airports handling dozens of flights daily were put on standby.

Tatarstan has increasingly become a target for drone attacks in recent months, due to its strategic importance as an industrial and logistics hub for Russia. Back in April 2024, the region experienced a major drone attack, when drones attacked the Taneco oil refinery in Nizhnekamsk and industrial facilities in Kazan. At that time, one of the devices damaged a unit at the refinery, and another was shot down by an electronic warfare system. Since then, incidents have become more frequent.

According to media reports, in January and February 2025 alone, Rosaviatsia repeatedly imposed restrictions at the airports of Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, and neighboring regions - Saratov, Ulyanovsk, and Samara. For example, on February 19, the airports of Kazan, Nizhnekamsk, Ulyanovsk, Izhevsk, and Kirov were closed due to the threat of attacks, and on the night of the same day, Russian air defense shot down nine drones over four regions.