Israel’s flagship carrier El Al Airlines announced on Thursday a suspension of its popular Tel Aviv-Moscow flight route due to Ukraine’s series of drone attacks against the Russian capital.
“Due to developments between Russia and Ukraine and recent aviation incidents in the region, El Al is forced to suspend its operations on the Tel Aviv-Moscow route for the coming days,” the Israeli firm said in a statement cited by Hebrew media.
“A new situational assessment will be made next week and a decision will be made accordingly as to whether the line will resume operations. Passengers will be informed and will be given the option to choose between different alternatives in accordance with the law,” El Al added.
Ukraine carried out its largest drone attack on Moscow since the start of the war in 2021 with approximately 200 aircraft targeting Moscow last week.
Moscow’s four airports were temporarily closed and more than 500 flights were cancelled or postponed, according to the BBC.
An oil refinery was reportedly struck in the aerial assault, putting it out of service for at least six months, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
Located on the southern outskirts of the Russian capital, the refinery is the largest fuel supplier to the Moscow region, the report read.
Ukraine in recent weeks has ramped up its long-range drone strikes on Russian targets, which endanger civilian air flights. The risk for civilian aircraft stems from Russia’s air-defense systems as well.
