El Al suspends Moscow flights after regional escalation

El Al said on Thursday that it is suspending its Tel Aviv-Moscow service for the coming days because of developments between Russia and Ukraine and recent aviation incidents in the region. The airline said it will reassess the situation next week and decide whether to resume the route. Passengers will be notified and offered alternative options under applicable law.

The decision came about a week after Ukraine carried out a large overnight attack on Moscow, during which Russian air defenses intercepted 555 drones over the capital. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said some drones still struck an oil refinery in the city, and that 42 additional drones were intercepted, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed the refinery strike, saying it was the second attack on the facility in the past week. He described it as a “totally justified response” to Russian attacks on Ukraine. Zelensky added that Ukraine’s allies had noticed the precision and effectiveness of Ukrainian strikes and sanctions on Russia, and he called on Moscow to take the diplomatic steps needed to end the war.

Separately, U.S. President Donald Trump told Zelensky in a private conversation on Wednesday to act “more boldly,” a senior Ukrainian official told the Kyiv Independent. The comment came as Ukrainians are trying to arrange a meeting between Zelensky and Vladimir Putin, an idea Trump supports but the Kremlin continues to avoid. The official said Trump did not believe Putin would do anything without pressure.