Russian airports recorded 993 temporary operational shutdowns in August as drone attacks increasingly disrupted the country’s civil aviation network.

The figure was more than one-third higher than in July and highlights the growing impact of the war on air travel infrastructure.

Russian airports were temporarily closed 1,923 times during all of 2025, according to Russian media reports. The disruptions this summer have already surpassed that annual total.

Across June, July and August, airports were shut down 2,182 times, underscoring the sharp escalation in aviation-related disruptions.

Aviation risk specialist Osprey Flight Solutions also reported a significant increase in drone activity over Russia. The company estimated that around 16,000 Ukrainian drones entered Russian airspace in August, compared with approximately 11,000 in June and 13,000 in July.

The attacks are also affecting aviation infrastructure and support services.

At Sochi Airport, one of two aircraft-fuelling operators suspended operations following a September 4 drone attack on the Rosneft-Kubannefteprodukt oil depot in Adler. The incident raised further concerns about the resilience of aviation services at major Russian airports.

The latest disruptions come as Ukraine steps up international warnings about the safety of civilian aviation in Russia.

Kyiv has called on the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) to prohibit civilian flights over Russian territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has also warned foreign airlines about the risks associated with operating flights to Moscow and St. Petersburg.

Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency, meanwhile, said it had received no notifications from foreign airlines indicating widespread cancellations or changes to services to Russia.

The continuing airport closures are anyway adding another layer of uncertainty for airlines operating in or around Russian airspace, as drone activity remains a growing operational risk.