Russia is set to impose sweeping new restrictions on civilian aviation across much of its European territory, effectively closing large parts of the sky to private aircraft and business jets, according to aviation associations and industry channels.
The move comes as Ukraine has steadily expanded long-range drone strikes inside Russia, increasingly targeting military facilities, oil infrastructure, industrial sites, and logistics hubs far from the front line.
The growing range and frequency of these attacks have placed mounting pressure on Russian air defenses and repeatedly disrupted air traffic around Moscow and other regions.
New restrictions would ban most low-altitude civilian flights across central Russia
AOPA-Russia said civilian aircraft flights in the Moscow airspace zone at altitudes from 0 to 5,100 meters will be fully banned starting in early June.
The organization said the restrictions will cover a broad area stretching from the Belarus border and St. Petersburg region to areas near Yekaterinburg, Samara, and southern Russia.
According to AOPA-Russia, the restrictions will apply to private aircraft, helicopters, business jets, and other non-scheduled civilian aviation. Exceptions are expected for regular passenger flights, medical evacuation operations, industrial monitoring flights, and aviation work carried out under state contracts.
Russian aviation groups warn restrictions could cripple light aviation sector
Russian aviation Telegram channel Aviatorshchina reported that the restrictions are expected to remain in place “until the end of the special military operation,” using the Kremlin’s official term for the war against Ukraine.
The outlet also described the measures as effectively closing much of the sky over central Russia to light aviation.
Sergei Ryabchinsky, head of the Chkalov Central Aeroclub, said some aeroclubs are already considering relocating operations beyond the Ural Mountains because of the expected restrictions and increasingly frequent airspace shutdowns.
He linked the measures to ongoing drone attacks on Moscow and other Russian regions, saying authorities are seeking tighter control of the airspace to avoid mistakenly targeting civilian aircraft during air defense operations.
Tighter controls linked to drone defense incidents
Russian aviation communities have also speculated that the tightening measures may have been influenced by a March 2026 incident near Kolomna, when, according to participants in light aviation groups cited by Krym.Realii, Russian air defenses may have accidentally shot down a civilian light aircraft during a drone attack response.
No official investigation results into that incident have been published.
