El Al suspends Tel Aviv-Moscow flights amid Russia-Ukraine escalation

El Al said it is suspending its Tel Aviv-Moscow service for the next few days because of developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and recent aviation-related incidents in the region. The airline said it will review the situation again next week and then decide whether to resume the route.

Passengers will be updated and offered alternative options, the company said. El Al did not say how many flights are affected or for how long the suspension could last beyond the near term.

The move comes as the war has entered a new phase, with both sides striking strategic infrastructure. Ukraine has significantly expanded the range of its operations with targeted drone attacks deep inside Russia, including an attack that shut down the main refinery of Gazprom Neft in Moscow and disrupted oil export ports.

According to reports, the damage to Russia’s refining capacity has caused fuel shortages across the country and forced Moscow to temporarily halt exports of diesel and jet fuel. At the same time, there have been hits to the power grid and to maritime supply routes to Crimea. In response, the Russian military has intensified strikes on energy facilities and civilian targets across Ukraine. Red Wings also operates flights from Israel to Russia, and its 12 weekly flights are continuing as normal.