El Al Suspends Tel Aviv-Moscow Flights Amid Drone Threats

El Al said Thursday it is suspending flights on its Tel Aviv-Moscow route because of recent Ukrainian drone attacks and other developments in Russian airspace. The airline said the move was driven by the broader military situation between Russia and Ukraine and the aviation conditions in the area.

El Al said it will conduct another situation assessment next week and then decide whether to resume the route. Passengers will be updated and will be able to choose among the options available to them under the law.

In recent weeks, Ukraine has carried out several large-scale drone strikes toward Moscow and the city’s airports. The report said the danger to civilian aviation comes both from the drones themselves and from air-defense systems trying to intercept them. Last week, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said 194 drones were intercepted on their way to the city, while 527 flights at Moscow airports were canceled or delayed.

Similar attacks that forced airport closures also took place in May and June. This is not the first time El Al has suspended the Moscow route. At the end of December 2024, service was halted for four months after an Azerbaijan Airlines plane crashed in Kazakhstan, killing 38 people. Aviation sources said the crash was caused by a Russian air-defense system that was trying to shoot down Ukrainian drones, although Russia has not officially admitted this.