Russia bans civilian drones and light aircraft over Moscow as Ukrainian strikes escalate

On June 20, 2026, Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia), acting on a request from the Defense Ministry, imposed a sweeping ban on flights of light and ultralight aircraft and civilian drones over Moscow and several central Russian regions . The restrictions apply at altitudes up to 5.2 km (3.2 miles) and are in effect indefinitely, or until further notice . Regular scheduled and charter passenger flights are exempt from the ban .

Which areas are affected?

The ban covers Moscow and most of Moscow Oblast, plus parts of Ryazan, Tula, Kaluga, Tver, Yaroslavl, Smolensk, and Vladimir regions . The zone includes the Moscow Flight Information Region (FIR), which stretches as far west as the Belarus border and as far east as the Yekaterinburg area, though the specific June 20 restrictions are focused on central Russia immediately around the capital .

What is banned and what are the altitude limits?

• Banned aircraft: Light aircraft, ultralight aircraft, and civil unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) .
• Altitude ceiling: All flights in those categories are prohibited from ground level up to 5,200 meters (about 17,000 feet or 3.2 miles) . Most light aircraft and consumer drones cannot reach that altitude, making the restriction effectively a complete ban in the covered area .
• Exemptions: State (military) and experimental aircraft are not covered by the ban .

Why was the ban imposed?

Russian authorities framed the measure explicitly as a response to a sharp increase in long-range Ukrainian drone strikes targeting infrastructure and military facilities deep inside Russian territory, including areas around Moscow . Reporting from multiple outlets describes the move as an effort to tighten low-altitude airspace controls to counter the growing drone threat .

Aviation industry group AOPA Russia and state media confirmed that the restrictions were introduced "at the request of the Russian Ministry of Defense," citing flight safety .

Broader pattern of airspace escalation

This ban is the latest and most restrictive step in an ongoing escalation of Russian airspace controls over Moscow and central Russia :

• In early June 2026, Russia planned to almost completely close the Moscow-area airspace to general civil aviation below about 5,100 meters (similar altitude but a wider class of aircraft) . That earlier ban covered a broad area stretching from the Belarus border and St. Petersburg region to Yekaterinburg, Samara, and southern Russia, while exempting scheduled passenger flights, medevac, and crop-dusting operations .
• The June 20 ban extends those restrictions specifically to light aircraft, ultralight aircraft, and civilian drones over Moscow and neighboring regions . Taken together, the June measures create a layered low-altitude exclusion zone: general civilian aircraft are banned below 5.1 km in a vast area centered on Moscow; private and unmanned aircraft are additionally banned below 5.2 km in the tighter central zone.
• Available reporting describes a broader move toward low-altitude civilian flight restrictions across large parts of central Russia as Ukrainian drone activity increases . Some sources note that the restrictions may remain in place for the duration of the war .
• The overall trend reflects Moscow's effort to secure rear areas and critical facilities against long-range drone attacks without fully shutting down all aviation activity . By banning low-altitude private flights that could be used for reconnaissance or weaponized drones while keeping commercial air travel running, Russian authorities appear to be balancing security needs with the economic necessity of maintaining air transport links .