On July 30, Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport was closed following an attack by Ukrainian drones. The incident led to several flights being redirected to other airports within the Moscow Aviation Hub, which continued to operate normally.
Early that morning, numerous explosions were heard in Moscow’s eastern region, particularly in a financial center known as the IQ-quarter, which hosts several skyscrapers. Videos circulating on the internet captured residents awoken by the explosions and loud noise, as well as footage of a propeller drone acting as a kamikaze, flying into a building until it exploded.
The IQ-quarter is located 20 kilometers from Vnukovo Airport, Moscow’s third-largest and widely used by low-cost airlines and companies focused on tourist flights. Turkish Airlines, its subsidiary Anadolujet, and competitor Pegasus Airlines, the main foreign airlines operating at Vnukovo, were the most affected by the drone attack.
The Russian government closed the airspace due to the airport’s proximity to the attack site, affecting flights landing at Vnukovo, especially those passing through Europe, which has been the preferred detour for Turkish companies.
Later that day, the aviation services reported that the airport had resumed receiving flights, stating, «The airport has resumed its work: departures and arrivals are carried out.» Despite the interruption, 16 arrivals and four departures were delayed.
According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, Ukraine attempted to attack targets in Moscow with drones. One drone was destroyed in the air over the Odintsovo district of the Moscow region, and two more were suppressed and crashed in Moscow City. There were no casualties.
