The Kremlin has acknowledged its inability to safeguard its rear from Ukrainian aerial assaults, leading to the closure of the airspace around the capital to civilian aviation.
Ukrainian drone / © screenshot from video
Russia is compelled to impose widespread restrictions on civilian flights over Moscow and several other regions due to the successful and extensive campaign of Ukrainian aerial strikes.
This information comes from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) in its latest report.
According to analysts, the state regulator “Rosaviatsiya,” at the behest of the Russian Ministry of Defense, has implemented new stringent limitations set to take effect from June 20. Consequently, light and ultra-light aircraft will be prohibited from taking flight at altitudes between 0 and 5200 meters.
The “closed sky” zone encompasses a vast territory:
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Moscow and most of the Moscow Oblast;
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Parts of the Ryazan, Tula, and Kaluga Oblasts;
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Parts of the Tver, Yaroslavl, and Vladimir Oblasts.
ISW experts remind us that this is not the first attempt by the occupiers to defend against Ukrainian drones; similar restrictions (up to 5100 meters) were already introduced in the Moscow zone starting June 1, 2026.
The Institute for the Study of War states that Russia is currently incapable of protecting its rear from Ukrainian means of destruction, and the intensification of flight bans is a belated effort by the Kremlin to somehow mitigate the constant threat posed by Ukraine’s long-range drones.
As a reminder, on the night of June 18, drones attacked Moscow and several Russian regions. Amidst the aerial threat, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) reported significant disruptions in civilian aviation operations. Specifically, Domodedovo Airport temporarily ceased accepting and dispatching flights. Temporary flight restrictions were imposed at two other key airports in the Russian capital – Vnukovo and Sheremetyevo. It is also reported that the airports of Kazan and Bugulma are temporarily not accepting aircraft.
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