El Al Suspends Tel Aviv-Moscow Route Amid Russia-Ukraine Tensions

El Al said on Thursday it is suspending its Tel Aviv-Moscow service for the coming days because of developments in the Russia-Ukraine conflict and recent aviation-related incidents in the region. The airline said it will reassess the situation next week and then decide whether to restore the route.

Passengers will be notified of the change and offered alternative options in accordance with the law.

The announcement came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier in the day that Ukrainian forces had struck an oil depot in Russia’s Krasnodar region and two oil refineries in the Ufa area, about 1,500 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, according to Reuters. Zelensky wrote on X that “the Russians should think about real diplomacy instead of trying to deceive others again or buy time. The war must be brought to an end.”

Also on Thursday, Bashkortostan governor Radiy Khabirov said debris from a drone fell in an industrial area of Ufa, the regional capital, where three major oil refineries are located. He said the facilities continued operating normally and that the drone attack was repelled. “The drone attack on Ufa was repelled. No one was injured, and production processes were not disrupted, the plants are operating normally,” he said.