Nizhny Novgorod airport urgently accepted 15 Moscow flights due to a drone attack.

      May 17, 2026 09:19 Incidents The Nizhny Novgorod International Airport received 15 flights heading to Moscow due to temporary restrictions on the acceptance and departure of aircraft at the capital's airports. This was reported by the press service of the "Chkalov" air harbor. The Nizhny Novgorod airport is the main backup for the Moscow aviation hub. Airline and airport staff are interacting with the arriving passengers, providing them with food and drinks. All services at "Chkalov" are operating in enhanced mode. Drinking fountains can be found in the terminal, and water coolers, as well as poufs and mattresses, will be installed if necessary. Passengers inside are advised to pay attention to announcements over the loudspeaker and information on the online scoreboard. According to the Russian Ministry of Defense, 556 drones were destroyed over the regions of the country on the night of May 17. One of the largest attacks was experienced by the Moscow region; according to Governor Andrei Vorobyov, three people died, and five others were injured. According to Mayor Sergey Sobyanin, 12 people were injured in Moscow itself. Earlier, we reported that Russia is launching an experiment with biometric boarding for flights. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" has channels on Telegram and MAX. Subscribe to stay updated on the main events, exclusive materials, and operational information. Copyright © 1999—2025 NIA "Nizhny Novgorod". When reprinting, a hyperlink to NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" is mandatory. This resource may contain materials 18+