All four of Moscow's main airports were shut for several hours overnight on Thursday into Friday after a large-scale drone attack on the Russian capital, disrupting hundreds of flights at a time when President William Ruto and several other African heads of state were in the city for the Third Russia-Africa Summit.

Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency imposed restrictions on arrivals and departures at Sheremetyevo, Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky airports on Thursday evening, October 29, according to reports by Kenyans.co.ke and Ukrainian news agency Ukrinform, which cited Russian aviation data. The curbs lasted close to nine hours before being lifted early on Friday morning.

By Friday noon there was no indication that the attack had targeted or disrupted the visiting African delegations, Kenyans.co.ke reported.

Hundreds of flights grounded

Russian outlets quoted by Kenyans.co.ke said more than 400 flights were cancelled. Sheremetyevo, Moscow's largest airport, was the worst hit with 170 cancellations, followed by Vnukovo with 48, Domodedovo with four and Zhukovsky with one. Vnukovo also recorded 111 delays.

Some planes bound for Moscow were diverted, with St Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport reportedly receiving 27 flights, leaving passengers waiting for hours. Ukrinform, citing the independent Russian channel Astra and the airports.ru service, put the number of flights delayed or cancelled across Moscow and St Petersburg at more than 460, and said delays continued into Friday.

The scale of the attack remains disputed. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin was quoted as saying 862 drones had been launched towards the Moscow region between Thursday evening and Friday morning, with many shot down. Russia's Defence Ministry claimed that 1,214 drones were downed over 18 regions and Moscow overnight. None of the figures could be independently verified.

Ukraine has repeatedly sent long-range drones against Russian infrastructure during the war that began with Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, and Moscow's airports have been closed several times this year, including on October 23.

What Ruto went to Moscow for

Ruto left Nairobi on Tuesday, October 27, accompanied by First Lady Rachel Ruto, Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi and other senior officials, to attend the summit held from October 28 to 29. Delegations from 48 of Africa's 54 countries took part, 22 of them led by heads of state.

The visit produced several agreements. According to Capital FM, Kenya and Russia signed five memoranda of understanding covering:

  • an Intergovernmental Russia-Kenya Commission on Economic Cooperation;
  • cooperation in labour inspection and employment promotion, which is expected to open more jobs for Kenyans in Russia once implemented;
  • cooperation between the two countries' transport ministries;
  • visa-free travel for holders of diplomatic and service passports;
  • collaboration in diplomatic training.

President Vladimir Putin also announced 70 additional university scholarships for Kenyan students. More than 4,000 Kenyans have graduated from Russian and Soviet-era universities since independence.

In a post on X on Friday, Ruto said he and Putin had "reaffirmed our commitment to deepening economic cooperation between Kenya and Russia, expanding trade and investment opportunities", People Daily reported. Earlier in the week he urged Russian investors to set up factories in Kenya, pointing to a trade imbalance in which Kenya imports far more from Russia than it exports.

The Kenya angle

The airport closures are a reminder of the security realities of a country at war, and of the delicate balance Nairobi is trying to strike. Kenya has publicly backed Ukraine's territorial integrity at the United Nations while keeping trade and diplomatic channels open with Moscow, a major supplier of wheat and fertiliser to the country.

The war has also touched Kenyan families directly. Dozens of Kenyans have been lured to Russia with promises of civilian jobs only to end up on the front line. The new labour agreement is likely to draw scrutiny from families and rights groups who want guarantees that any jobs offered are genuine and civilian.

State House had not said by Friday afternoon whether the airport disruption affected the President's travel plans. The delegation is expected back in Nairobi once his bilateral engagements end.

Photos: Business Insider/Kenyans.co.ke (Sheremetyevo Airport); Kenyans.co.ke (Putin and Ruto at the Kremlin). Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.