Air traffic across southern Russia has been severely disrupted after a reported drone strike damaged a key aviation control facility in Rostov-on-Don, prompting authorities to suspend operations at multiple airports and restrict civilian flights in the region.
According to Russian officials, the strike targeted a regional air navigation control center responsible for coordinating a significant share of air traffic over southern Russia, including up to 2,000 civilian flights daily, many of them transit routes.
Following the incident, the Russian Transport Ministry confirmed an emergency suspension of flights at 13 airports across the south of the country. An official aviation notice (NOTAM) stated that airspace restrictions will remain in place until 11 May at 23:59, affecting both domestic and international transit flights passing through the region.
Flight tracking data indicated that civilian air traffic over southern Russia has been largely halted. Authorities also acknowledged that flight schedules will be reduced while damage assessments continue.
The affected facility in Rostov-on-Don is reportedly part of Russia’s unified air traffic management system. Officials said specialists are currently evaluating the condition of the equipment to determine whether operations can be restored.
In response to the disruption, the Ministry of Transport ordered alternative arrangements for passengers, including rail and bus transport from affected airports.
Russian authorities have not provided full details on the extent of the damage, but the incident has caused widespread disruption to civil aviation logistics in the country’s south, underscoring growing pressure on critical infrastructure during the ongoing war.
