Russia's Transport Ministry plans to more than double the number of no-fly zones nationwide, from 374 to 818, according to a draft document cited by the Kommersant newspaper. The new restrictions would apply to all types of aircraft, including drones, with exceptions for military aircraft and, in some cases, flights operated on behalf of oil companies, the ministry said.
The expanded list includes zones over protected and strategically important state facilities: fuel and energy infrastructure, defense industry sites, transport hubs, and "facilities posing an elevated threat to the lives and health of people and the natural environment."
The list was compiled based on recommendations from the Federal Security Service (FSB), the Federal Protective Service (FSO), the Defense Ministry, the National Guard (Rosgvardia), the Industry and Trade Ministry, the Energy Ministry, state nuclear corporation Rosatom, state space agency Roscosmos, and other state companies, as well as proposals from regional governments.
The current version of the order, adopted in 2022, lists 374 no-fly zones. The new rules will take effect after the order is published and will remain in force indefinitely.
This summer, Russian authorities already imposed additional flight restrictions: first, small aircraft were completely banned from flying at altitudes up to 5,100 meters in the Moscow air zone, and then the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) lowered the maximum flight altitude in the Moscow aviation hub area.