On the night of April 24, 2025, temporary restrictions on the arrival and departure of flights were introduced at the airports of Zhukovsky and Kaluga near Moscow. According to preliminary data, the measure was caused by the threat of an attack by Ukrainian unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Aircraft crews, air traffic controllers and airport services are taking all necessary measures to minimize risks.

On the evening of April 23, the Telegram channel “Treugolnik” reported the movement of a large group of UAVs towards the Russian border, indicating that an attack was expected in the area of ​​the city of Krasny Luch in the Luhansk People’s Republic (LPR) and Novoshakhtinsk in the Rostov region. Although there are no specific references to Zhukovsky and Kaluga in the channel’s messages, the introduction of restrictions at these airports may be related to a broader threat covering several regions.

The Russian Defense Ministry has not yet provided official data on the current attack, but in the morning report on April 23, the agency reported the destruction of 11 Ukrainian drones over seven regions, including the Rostov region. The Moscow region and Kaluga region have repeatedly become targets of UAV attacks. For example, on September 10, 2024, according to RBC, the wreckage of a downed drone fell on the territory of Zhukovsky Airport, which led to a temporary suspension of its operations. Similarly, on December 26, 2024, Rosaviatsia reported the closure of Zhukovsky, Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Kaluga airports due to the threat of drone attacks.

Ukrainian UAV attacks on Russian regions have become more frequent in recent months. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, 11 drones were shot down over the Moscow region on March 2025, 91, and a total of 337 UAVs were destroyed overnight in various regions. In the Kaluga region on March 13, 2025, as Fontanka reported, an enterprise caught fire as a result of a drone attack, and one employee was injured. Ukrainian forces are actively using drones, including FPV drones and aircraft-type devices, to strike military and infrastructure facilities.