Flight restrictions imposed at several Russian airports amid drone attacks
Editor's note: This is a developing story and is being updated.
Flight restrictions have been introduced at airports in the Russian cities of Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov, and Tambov amid the threat of drone attacks, Artyom Korenyako, a spokesperson for Russia's state aviation agency Rosaviatsia, said on May 27.
"To ensure the safety of civil aircraft flights, temporary restrictions on their entry and exit have also been introduced," Korenyako said in a Telegram post.
As Russia continues its war, Ukraine regularly strikes military facilities deep within Russian territory to minimize Moscow's ability to wage its war.
Earlier on May 27, the Russian aviation agency said it imposed flight restrictions at Kaluga's airport.
Air defenses "have detected and destroyed" several drones, Alexander Gusev, Voronezh Oblast Governor, said.
The Kyiv Independent could not independently verify these claims.
The threat of drone attacks was declared in Russia's Tula, Lipetsk, Samara, and Voronezh oblasts by Russian authorities.
On May 23, Russian authorities were forced to shut down airports in Moscow amid a barrage of Ukrainian drone strikes overnight.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on May 26 said Ukraine's Western partners are no longer imposing any range restrictions on weapons delivered to Kyiv for use against Russian military targets.
"There are no longer any restrictions on the range of weapons delivered to Ukraine — neither by the U.K., France, nor us. There are no restrictions by the U.S. either," Merz said.
"This means that Ukraine can now defend itself, for example, by attacking military positions in Russia," the chancellor said, adding that, "Until recently, it couldn’t do that, and apart from very few exceptions, it hadn’t done so either."
The Kyiv Independent news desk
