El Al said on Thursday that it is suspending its Tel Aviv-Moscow route for the coming days because of the security situation between Russia and Ukraine and recent aviation disruptions in the region. The airline said it will reassess the situation next week and then decide whether to resume service. Passengers whose flights were canceled will be notified and offered alternative options under applicable law.
The decision came after Ukraine launched an unusually large overnight drone attack that shook Russia and shut down Moscow’s airspace. Russian air defenses dealt with 301 unmanned aerial vehicles launched over Russia and occupied areas. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that nearly 60 drones headed for the capital were intercepted and that emergency crews were sent to the crash sites.
The attack forced a complete halt in operations at Moscow’s Sheremetyevo, Domodedovo, Vnukovo and Zhukovsky airports. The disruption came only days after the city’s sole refinery was hit hard, and the broader campaign against energy infrastructure is already being felt. In Crimea, fuel sales to civilians and businesses have been stopped and limited to security and government forces, while in Sevastopol the situation has deteriorated into a total blackout. Governor Mikhail Razvozhaev urged residents to restrain electricity use.
Separately, the report said Russia has been increasing pressure on Belarus in recent months to widen the use of its territory in the war against Ukraine. According to the Wall Street Journal, Moscow wants more drone launch sites, expanded military infrastructure and additional forces there to force Ukraine to divert resources to its northern border. President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned that if Belarus continues to allow facilities used for Russian attacks, Ukraine will act against them. Western and Ukrainian intelligence officials say there are still no signs of an imminent Russian ground offensive from Belarus. Israeli travelers planning to fly to Moscow in the coming days were told to contact El Al for updates and alternative arrangements.
