Temporarily halted air traffic handling at Vnukovo airfield
In the bustling Vnukovo Airport of Moscow, a sudden halt to civilian aircraft operations ensued, as announced by Rosaviatsiya's Artem Koreniago. This fascinating development, effective from 9:06 Moscow time, was carried out "to maintain the safety of civil aviation," according to official reports. The flying snag was short-lived, as normal operations resumed at 10:30.
A peek into the past reveals a similar episode in Vnukovo on April 9, when the airport momentarily paused the reception and send-off of flights in the evening. Similar scenes were reenacted at Kaluga Airport around the same time. The drama took an upbeat turn overnight on April 10, as both airports returned to normal operations. The Ministry of Defense disclosed that an astounding 42 drones were shot down that night across Russia, with 12 of them hovering over the Kaluga region and one drone haunting the Moscow region.
Fast forward to the spooky silence of the night on May 4. The Ministry of Defense claimed they managed to obliterate 13 Ukrainian drones over Russian skies, with 11 of them exploding over the Rostov region and singular ones over the Belgorod and Bryansk regions. Astonishingly, Bryansk Governor Alexander Bogomaz reported no casualties or damage, while Yuri Slyusar, the Governor of the Rostov region, clarified that the drones were shot down in Kamensk-Shakhtinsky, leaving no tragic consequences.
- Due to the ongoing war-and-conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, Artem Koreniago, the CEO of Rosaviatsiya, halted civilian aircraft operations at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, similar to a previous incident on May 4.
- In politics, the controversial move was argued to be necessary to maintain the safety of civil aviation, as it wasn't uncommon for drones to intrude into Russian airspace, as seen by the 42 drones shot down across the country on April 10, some of which were hovering over the Kaluga region and one close to the Moscow region.
- General news reports suggest that this type of halt to normal operations isn't a rare occurrence, with Vnukovo and Kaluga airports experiencing similar situations on April 9 and April 10, respectively.
- In an unexpected turn of events, the Bryansk Governor, Alexander Bogomaz, reported no casualties or damage when 11 Ukrainian drones exploded over the Rostov region on May 4, demonstrating the vital measures taken to ensure public safety amidst ongoing war-and-conflicts and the intrusion of drones into Russia's airspace.
