Air traffic with cities in southern Russia has been fully restored.
Flight restrictions imposed at airports in the North Caucasus and Southern Federal Districts following the drone strike on the air traffic control center in Rostov-on-Don have been lifted.
As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on May 9, the Ministry of Transport announced that some international flights by Russian airlines through the Rostov airspace control zone had resumed.
On the night of May 8, drones struck the building of the regional center in Rostov-on-Don, which controls air traffic in southern Russia. As a result, operations at 13 airports were suspended: Astrakhan, Vladikavkaz, Volgograd, Gelendzhik, Grozny, Krasnodar, Makhachkala, Magas, Mineralnye Vody, Nalchik, Sochi, Stavropol, and Elista. Later that day, Rosaviatsia reported that all these airports were ready to handle flights.
Full air travel through airports in southern Russia has been restored, the Ministry of Transport announced today at 10:24 Moscow time on its Telegram channel.
"Air traffic control is being carried out without capacity or transit restrictions. At 9:00 Moscow time, NOTAMs (NOTAM – notice to flight personnel – note by "Caucasian Knot") regarding previously imposed restrictions were cancelled," the publication stated.
On May 9, 441 flights were operated, transporting 63,800 passengers, the ministry reported. "As of 8:30 a.m. Moscow time, the scheduled flight schedule includes 277 flights to and from airports in southern Russia, with no flight cancellations. 83 flights have been operated today, transporting 11,000 passengers," the publication notes.
As of 12:02 a.m. Moscow time, Rosaviatsia had not announced any new flight restrictions at any Russian airports on its Telegram channel on May 9 and 10.
Gelendzhik and Krasnodar Airports to Operate with Restrictions from 2025
As a reminder, in March 2022, following the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine, the airports of Anapa, Gelendzhik, Krasnodar, and Rostov-on-Don suspended operations. Elista Airport was also closed but resumed operations in May 2024. Caucasian Knot compiled information on airport operations in the Southern and North Caucasus Federal Districts in the spring-summer 2024 report "Operations of Airports in Southern Russia and the North Caucasus in 2024."
On July 9, 2025, the Ministry of Transport announced the reopening of Gelendzhik Airport for domestic flights, as experts confirmed the possibility of safe flights to Gelendzhik during daylight hours. On July 18, 2025, the airport accepted its first flight.
In September of the same year, the Ministry of Transport announced the resumption of operations at Krasnodar Airport. Flights, as with Gelendzhik, were decided to be operated only during daylight hours. On September 17, 2025, the first passenger flight to Krasnodar after a three-year hiatus was carried out from Moscow's Sheremetyevo Airport.