St. Petersburg airport cancels, delays over 100 flights after Ukrainian drone attack

2026-03-23 - 07:39

More than 100 flights were either canceled or delayed over the past day due to a Ukrainian drone attack, St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport said on Monday. "Pulkovo Airport has been operating under airspace restrictions for approximately eight hours. 39 flights have been diverted to alternate airports, and 34 flights have been delayed by more than two hours," the airport's press service said in a statement on Telegram. Flight disruptions It added that 30 outbound flights were also canceled. "Passengers on canceled flights are advised not to remain in the airport terminal," it said. The disruptions highlight the growing reach of Ukraine's drone campaign targeting Russian infrastructure far from the front lines. Infrastructure damage Meanwhile, the governor of the Leningrad region surrounding St. Petersburg said in a separate statement that more than 60 Ukrainian drones were shot down on approach to the city. According to him, power lines and an oil depot were hit in the attack. The Russian Defense Ministry said more than 250 drones were shot down across the country overnight, underscoring the scale of the Ukrainian operation. Ukraine silent Ukraine has yet to comment on Russia's claims. The drone strikes represent Ukraine's continued strategy of targeting Russian energy and logistics infrastructure to disrupt military supply chains and economic activity. Conflict context The attack comes as the US-Israeli war with Iran continues into its fourth week, but fighting in Ukraine persists unabated. Western allies have reaffirmed their commitment to supporting Kyiv, with Germany recently announcing readiness to help secure the Strait of Hormuz after the Iran war ends, while maintaining focus on Ukraine's defense needs.