Aviation shutdowns and industrial strikes
Rosaviatsiya suspended civilian flights at Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo, and Zhukovsky airports at 2:05 p.m. local time on Oct 23. Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reported that 17 drones heading toward the city were shot down during the afternoon raid. Sheremetyevo, Moscow’s largest airport, experienced disruptions as an air alert forced waiting passengers to take shelter. Social media users posted photos that allegedly showed debris from a downed drone on the Sheremetyevo tarmac, though the Kyiv Independent could not verify these images. FlightRadar24 reported 85 cancelled flights and 229 delayed flights at Sheremetyevo over the day. TASS reported that an all-clear sounded at Sheremetyevo at 5 p.m. local time.
| Sheremetyevo Flight Disruptions | Count |
|---|---|
| Cancelled flights | 85 |
| Delayed flights | 229 |
An evacuation occurred at the IQ-quarter skyscraper in the Moscow City business district following the drone raid. This facility houses offices for the Russian Digital Development Ministry, the Economic Development Ministry, and the Industry and Trade Ministry. TASS reported that emergency services later determined the alarm at the skyscraper was false. Meanwhile, explosions occurred in Oryol, a city located 350 kilometers southwest of Moscow. Oryol Oblast Governor Andrey Klychkov confirmed a strike on an enterprise, and ASTRA identified the target as the Proton plant. This facility manufactures semiconductor devices, LEDs, and electronic components for industrial and specialized equipment used in Russian weapons systems. Local residents reported hearing at least four explosions during the missile strike. Temporary airport closures across Russia have become common as Ukrainian long-range drones reach deeper into Russian territory.
Civilian casualties in Chernihiv
Russian forces killed one man and injured at least 25 people in Chernihiv during a daytime attack on Oct 23. The strike hit two private businesses in the northern Chernihiv Oblast city, which borders Belarus and Russia. Ukraine’s Air Force reported that drones and a Banderol low-cost cruise missile headed toward the city following an air raid alert at 1:40 p.m. local time. Emergency services continued to assist the injured and deal with the aftermath of the Russian attack as of 4:30 p.m. local time. A regional police investigative team is documenting the damage and collecting evidence of a Russian war crime at the scene. Chernihiv, which had a population of around 280,000 before the full-scale invasion, previously endured a Russian siege and occupation from February 24 until early April 2022. This strike on civilian infrastructure in Chernihiv remains a brutal reality of the ongoing conflict.
On Sept 1, President Volodymyr Zelensky warned airlines, insurers, and foreign governments that Russian airspace "will be de facto closed" because of Ukrainian drones, though Russian President Vladimir Putin responded by accusing Kyiv of "state terrorism." Zelensky told Telegram that although the Russian authorities do not report this as it should, the Russian sky will de facto be closed. He warned that "Russian skies are becoming completely dangerous" and that carriers flying to Moscow and St. Petersburg must factor in the risk posed by drones in Russian airspace. The strikes prove Russian aviation infrastructure remains vulnerable to drone incursions.
