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Russia plans to almost completely shut down the airspace over Moscow and surrounding central regions for civilian aviation beginning in early June 2026. The restrictions will apply to flights operating at altitudes from ground level up to 5,100 meters.
According to the AOPA Russia, civilian aircraft flights within the Moscow air zone will be fully prohibited at those altitudes.
The restricted zone will cover a vast area around the Russian capital. To the west, it will stretch toward the border with Belarus and the airspace near Saint Petersburg. To the northeast, it will extend toward Yekaterinburg, while eastern and southeastern sectors will reach the region around Samara.
At the same time, Russian authorities introduced several major exceptions. The restrictions will not apply to scheduled and charter passenger flights operating to and from airports. Exemptions will also cover medical evacuation flights, agricultural aviation work, pipeline and power-line monitoring missions, and flights conducted under state contracts.
A formal NOTAM notice with detailed restrictions is expected to be published soon.
The move follows one of the largest drone attacks on Moscow and the Moscow region during the night of May 17. Ukrainian officials later stated that the strikes targeted the Moscow Oil Refinery, the Solnechnogorsk fuel depot, and several enterprises connected to microelectronics production for Russia’s defense industry.
Ukraine’s Security Service of Ukraine also confirmed strikes on the Volodarskoye oil facility and the Angstrem semiconductor plant, which produces components for the Russian military-industrial sector.
