El Al Suspends Moscow Flights as Ukraine Expands Drone Strikes

El Al said on Thursday that it is temporarily suspending flights on its Tel Aviv-Moscow route for the next few days, citing recent developments in the Russia-Ukraine war and aviation incidents in the region. The airline said it will reassess the situation next week and then decide whether to resume service.

In its statement, El Al said passengers will be updated and offered choices under applicable law. The move comes amid a continuing escalation in the war, especially Ukraine’s deep-strike campaign inside Russia, including attacks on energy, communications, and power infrastructure in the Moscow area and in Crimea.

Reuters reported the same day that President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had ordered Ukraine’s intelligence and military forces to carry out preemptive strikes on facilities Russia uses for the war. The report said Ukrainian drones hit power infrastructure in Sevastopol in Crimea and other targets in central and southern Russia.

Other reported attacks included a large gas facility in Orenburg and two satellite communications centers, one near Moscow in the Dubna area. Russia was also said to have diverted air-defense systems to protect Moscow and the Kerch Bridge, which links Russia to Crimea. Reuters added that Moscow’s main refinery, hit by Ukrainian drone strikes in June, is expected to remain out of service for months.