Over 300 Flights Delayed and Canceled in St. Petersburg Due to Drone Attacks
Passengers Spent the Night on the Floor at Pulkovo
In St. Petersburg, Pulkovo Airport had a major disruption in the schedule after drone attacks. The restrictions led to changes in the schedule of more than 300 flights, reports Life.ru citing the Telegram channel SHOT. Passengers had to spend the night of March 23 at Pulkovo. Many slept on the floor — on tourist mats provided by airport staff.
What Happened
On the night of March 22–23, the Leningrad Region was targeted by unmanned aerial vehicles, reports Delovoy Peterburg. Governor Alexander Drozdenko stated that by morning over 60 UAVs had been neutralized. A power line support near the village of Ermilovo in the Vyborg District was damaged. In one residential building, windows were blown out by the shockwave, and in the port of Primorsk, a fuel tank was damaged, causing a fire.
Flight restrictions at Pulkovo Airport affected both domestic and international routes. Flights to Moscow, Kaliningrad, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk, and Khanty-Mansiysk were delayed or canceled, along with international flights from Shanghai, Tashkent, and Phuket. Some passengers faced waiting times of almost 24 hours.
Passengers were provided with mats, water, and meals. The airport advised travelers to closely monitor flight information on display boards and via SMS notifications, as departure times continued to change. On the morning of March 23, flights resumed by coordination with relevant authorities. The effects of the overnight disruption are still being felt in the schedule.
Accurate Statistics
The Pulkovo press service clarified that the Telegram channel SHOT published unverified statistics claiming delays and cancellations of over 300 flights. “The airport was indeed under airspace restrictions for nearly 18 hours,” the agency noted, specifying that in reality, more than 80 flights were delayed for over two hours, 62 flights were canceled, and 45 aircraft were diverted to alternate airports.
“The situation with flight delays is challenging, but airline and airport representatives are doing everything possible to restore the schedule as quickly as possible,” the report emphasizes.
Drone Attacks Across Russia
According to the Ministry of Defense, a total of 249 Ukrainian UAVs of the aircraft type were destroyed over different regions of Russia on the night of March 23. The affected regions include:
- Belgorod Region, Bryansk Region
- Vladimir Region, Kaluga Region, Kursk Region
- Leningrad Region, Moscow Region
- Novgorod Region, Pskov Region, Smolensk Region
- Tver Region, Tula Region
Attacks were also recorded over the Azov Sea.
Kubnews notes that on the night of March 21, Russian air defense forces shot down 283 UAVs over 15 regions, and on March 22, 25 UAVs were downed over nine regions and the Black Sea. In Krasnodar Krai, there is a ban on filming and disseminating information about Ukrainian UAV attacks, the operation of air defense systems, and the locations of military or potentially dangerous objects. Violators face fines, the largest of which is 300,000 rubles ($3,572).
Conclusion
Analysts at International Investment note that air travel remains tense in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar Krai, and many other regions of Russia. Mass delays and cancellations have become almost routine, and threats to passengers’ health and safety persist. Travelers are advised to check which airport terminals are currently calmer when planning trips, though this does not guarantee a smooth departure or arrival.
These disruptions negatively affect tourism, business travel, cargo transportation, and everyday commuting. Passengers and companies must constantly adapt to changing schedules, while airports continue to operate in a heightened state of readiness.