Russian Airlines See 7% Drop in Passengers Amid Airport Disruptions From Ukrainian Drone Attacks

Russian airlines carried 7% fewer passengers during the summer travel season as repeated Ukrainian drone attacks disrupted operations at airports across the country, Russian state news agency Interfax reported Tuesday. Russian airlines transported 39.5 million passengers between May and August, down from about 42.6 million during the same period last year, according to Dmitry Yadrov, head of Russia’s civilian aviation agency Rosaviatsia.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The decline comes as Ukraine has intensified attacks on targets inside Russia, including a July operation in which Russian officials claimed more than 400 drones targeted the Moscow region, as well as repeated strikes on Russian industrial facilities in August. In September, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky warned international airlines and insurers that Russian airspace was becoming “completely unsafe” as Ukraine stepped up drone and missile strikes. “The war started by Russia is closing its skies,” Zelensky said in a Tuesday evening address. “Drone-infested skies are no place for civilian aviation.” He said Ukraine would continue striking Russian military targets and economic infrastructure supporting Moscow’s war effort, warning that the consequences of Russia’s war would increasingly extend into Russian airspace. “It is entirely natural and just that its consequences will also extend to Russia – including Russian airspace, which already is, and will increasingly become, a space for our drones and our missiles,” Zelensky said. Other Topics of Interest Russia Caps Cash Outflow at $11,900 per Person Amid Soaring Budget Deficit The new decree applies to travel to Russia’s neighboring countries, with Russia also eyeing a record 17 trillion rubles ($203 billion) in defense spending for 2027. He stressed that Ukraine does not target civilian aircraft, but urged airlines, insurers and governments to account for the growing risks around Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major Russian destinations. “The safe days in Russia’s skies are over,” he said. Despite the disruptions, Yadrov told Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin that the aviation sector had continued to operate “normally, reliably and safely.” Russia’s Economic Development Ministry expects airlines to carry 108.5 million passengers in 2026, a 0.3% decline from 2025. The ministry has cited “systemic constraints,” including difficulties maintaining foreign-made aircraft and prolonged closures of several airports in southern Russia. The industry is also facing rising costs. Russian authorities are considering additional passenger fees to help cover aircraft leasing and operating costs, according to Kommersant. The proposed surcharges could raise between 68 billion and 84 billion rubles ($807 million-$997 million) annually. Aviation experts cited by the newspaper warned that higher ticket prices could further weaken demand. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.