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Qatar Tribune
07-05-2025
- Qatar Tribune
Ukrainian drone strikes leave 60,000 people stranded at Russian airports
MoscowcTypeface:> Ukrainian drone attacks have caused major flight chaos in Russia, with delays, diversions and cancellations affecting at least 60,000 travellers on Wednesday, according to the Russian tourism association ATOR. Airports in Moscow, in particular, experienced issues ahead of planned celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. At Sheremetyevo Airport, Russia's largest airport, 40 flights have so far been cancelled. Another 60 aircraft scheduled to land there were diverted to airports hundreds of kilometres away, such as Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg. At least 50 flights were delayed by an hour or more. Nationwide, 350 departures have been affected so far, ATOR said. International flights also disrupted The number of affected flights is expected to rise further. (DPA)
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ukrainian drone strikes leave 60,000 stranded at Russian airports
Ukrainian drone attacks have caused major flight chaos in Russia, with delays, diversions and cancellations affecting at least 60,000 travellers on Wednesday, according to the Russian tourism association ATOR. Airports in Moscow, in particular, experienced issues ahead of planned celebrations to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. At Sheremetyevo Airport, Russia's largest airport, 40 flights have so far been cancelled. Another 60 aircraft scheduled to land there were diverted to airports hundreds of kilometres away, such as Pulkovo Airport in St Petersburg. At least 50 flights were delayed by an hour or more. Nationwide, 350 departures have been affected so far, ATOR said. International flights also disrupted The number of affected flights is expected to rise further. "These cancellations and delays are not the end of the matter due to the nature of flight schedules. Aircraft that fail to arrive at their destinations on time will, in turn, delay subsequent flights," the association's statement read. The Russian Defence Ministry reported the downing of 524 drones within a single day, which it described as a record. The ministry made the announcement as Russia, which launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago and continues to shell the country daily, prepares to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Soviet Union's defeat of Nazi Germany with a grand military parade on Friday. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to host international state guests at the event. Three-day ceasefire to take effect Ahead of the celebrations, Putin announced a temporary three-day ceasefire in Ukraine beginning Thursday. Ukraine has dismissed the move as symbolic and, along with the United States, continues to call for a minimum 30-day ceasefire. Meanwhile US Ukraine envoy Keith Kellogg told Fox News that Ukraine has suggested a demilitarized zone, in remarks that have not been confirmed by the Ukrainian government in Kiev. Ukraine is allegedly prepared to freeze fighting with Russia in its current positions and establish a 30-kilometre-wide security strip, Kellogg told Fox News on Tuesday. Another proposal is that European countries such as France, Britain, Germany and others should monitor the airspace west of the Dnipro River. There has been no confirmation of this information from Ukraine. In Moscow, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia had heard nothing from the US about a Ukrainian proposal for a demilitarized zone. Several Russian regions hit by drones Ukrainian drone attacks hit several Russian regions overnight, including the Moscow area, the southern regions of Kaluga and Tula, the northern region of Yaroslavl and the republic of Mordovia, Russian media reported on Wednesday. In Saransk, the capital of Mordovia, the authorities reportedly closed all kindergartens, schools and universities because of the drone attacks. Videos of fires in the city circulated on social media. No damage has been officially reported. However, the independent internet portal Astra said the strikes hit a factory for fibre optics and a machinery plant, which is important for military production. Meanwhile, Ukrainian media reported that the Splav arms factory in Tula had been hit. Ukrainian media said two military airfields were also hit, one in Kubinka in the Moscow region, and another in Shaikovka in the region of Kaluga. Major mobile internet problems Moscow residents can expect internet problems up to and including Saturday, the Kremlin said on Wednesday. There may be restrictions while state guests are in Moscow for the celebrations marking the victory over Nazi Germany 80 years ago, according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov "These are restrictions on the functioning of the mobile internet - for understandable reasons," Peskov told Russian news agencies. "We have to take into account the dangerous neighbourhood we are in," he said. Complaints about temporary mobile internet outages have been growing for days, especially in the capital. Two reported killed in Kiev Back in Ukraine, at least two people were killed after debris from downed drones hit residential buildings in Kiev overnight, sparking fires across several districts, the civil protection agency and Mayor Vitali Klitschko said on Wednesday. The victims were found as firefighters tried to put out blazes in apartments which started after drone parts crashed into a five-storey residential building. Meanwhile, air raid sirens continued to sound in the capital in the morning, with Klitschko instructing residents to take cover. Klitschko said that eight other people were also injured, including four children. The civil defence authorities spoke of five injured. Teymur Tkachenko, head of the city's military administration, also spoke of five injured on Telegram.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Yahoo
Over 60,000 passengers stranded in Russian airports due to drone attacks
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The closure of Russian airports following drone attacks on 6–7 May disrupted travel plans for at least 60,000 passengers and affected at least 350 flights. Source: The Moscow Times, citing data from the Association of Tour Operators in Russia (ATOR) Details: ATOR warned that "this delay will trigger further delays like a domino effect" and urged citizens to check the status of their flights. At Vnukovo Airport alone, around 50 flights were cancelled and over 45 delayed by more than an hour. Forty-three planes were diverted to other airports including Pulkovo, Mineralnye Vody, Ufa, Perm, Saratov and others. At Sheremetyevo Airport, about 100 flights were cancelled and at least 50 delayed. Domodedovo Airport cancelled 20 departures, with more than 70 arrivals delayed. The air traffic restrictions extended beyond Moscow, affecting Sochi, Kazan, Kirov, Nizhnekamsk, Kaluga, Volgograd, Saratov, Samara, Ivanovo, Yaroslavl, Tambov and other cities. In addition, over 30 cities in the central part of Russia experienced internet disruptions. Airlines including Aeroflot, Rossiya, Pobeda, S7, Ural Airlines, Nordwind, NordStar and Azur Air announced flight consolidations or cancellations. Background: Several Russian airlines cancelled dozens of flights on 7 May following drone strikes on Russia. On the night of 6–7 May, drones attacked defence industry facilities in several Russian oblasts, causing major fires. Earlier, Russian authorities claimed that their air defence supposedly downed seven drones flying towards the city of Moscow on the night of 6-7 May. Due to the drone threat, Sheremetyevo Airport was also temporarily closed. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
CNN
23-04-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Russians are still traveling around Europe despite sanctions. Not everyone's happy about it
Since the start of 2022, Russian influencer Egor Melo has been traveling around Europe. Last year, he went to Zurich to see Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, celebrated New Year's Eve in Paris, and enjoyed the historical sights of Nuremberg, Germany. After Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, direct flights between Russia and the EU were suspended. In September of the same year, the EU suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia, making Russian citizens face a lengthier, more expensive visa approval process to enter the EU. Processing fees for Schengen visas — which allow non-EU citizens to travel within the 29-country European Schengen area — have increased due to the suspension of visa-free agreements, some EU countries, many of which border Russia are offering fewer consular appointments for Russians, and the EU has advised member states to scrutinize Russian applications thoroughly. The new rules don't prevent Russian tourists from traveling to Europe — nor is there anything illegal about their trips. It's just making the process more difficult and expensive. Latvia, Norway, Poland, Finland, Estonia, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic have gone even further — issuing full bans on almost all tourist visas for Russian citizens. But on his Instagram, dedicated 'to showing that travel in Europe is accessible to everyone,' Melos claims he's 'been in two of these countries in the past year with a tourist visa and had no problems.' His advice? Obtain a visa from another Schengen country. 'For example, fly to Italy and from there travel to these countries.' Melos declined a CNN request to talk about his claims. The Baltic states' ban only applies to Russian citizens who cross the external Schengen border — not entry from other Schengen countries. 'Once you are in the Schengen zone, you can travel within the Schengen zone anywhere, because there is, in principle, no internal control (…) This is not unlawful. This is the Schengen system,' Sarah Ganty, co-author of a 2022 Yale Journal of International Law paper that opposed the visa bans, told CNN. Melo isn't alone in continuing to travel. The interior minister for Latvia reportedly condemned data presented at an EU meeting, which stated that 565,069 Schengen visas were issued to Russians in 2024: 90% for tourism. It's a massive drop from the four million issued pre-pandemic in 2019, but an increase of 25% from 2023. The visa refusal rate for Russians diverges strongly among member states — from 1% to 65% in the first half of 2024, according to an EU report. 'The stabilization of Schengen visa issuance' has contributed to the growth in demand for travel to Europe, the vice president of the Russian Union of Travel Industry (ATOR), claimed in an interview with Russian publication Vedomosti. One well-known travel blogger from Russia, who asked to not have their name included for fear of future visa applications being denied, agreed with ATOR. They've recently visited Norway — a country that stopped issuing visas to Russian tourists in May 2024. 'Right now, obtaining a visa requires many additional documents that weren't needed before, such as purchased flight tickets, hotel bookings, or even tax certificates,' they said. 'Jokes about needing a doctor's note (to travel) soon are becoming more common.' But they still see travel as accessible. 'Let's be honest — getting an EU residence permit, like a Spanish digital nomad visa, isn't that difficult right now. Some people are opting for a three-year EU residence permit instead of a visa, which has also become a common practice,' the blogger said. 'For example, if you have children living in the Baltics, the easiest way to get there is through Italy, France or Spain. The scheme is simple: you fly to Rome, spend some time there, and then travel through the Estonia-Russia border after first flying to your relatives.' No direct flights means that 'Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia and Serbia' had become the main transit countries for those living in Russia's West, while 'if you live in the Russian Far East, for example, in Vladivostok, it might be easier to fly through China,' according to them. But there are ways to avoid the extra costs when returning to Russia. Related video North Korea welcomes tourists again. Who is visiting? Even without an EU residence permit, it is possible to enter Russia through Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, the travel blogger said. 'That's why, in the summer, there are long queues at the Narva-Ivangorod border, as flying to Tallinn is cheap, and many people with tourist visas prefer to return via the Estonian-Russian border rather than through, say, Istanbul or Antalya.' Russian travel companies are still offering tours to countries that have supposedly blocked visas for Russian tourists. For example, one company, YouTravel, is currently offering a 15-day road trip through Finland, Sweden, Norway and Latvia in June. All these countries, apart from Sweden, have banned Russian tourists. The agency says it will assist in obtaining a visa free of charge. So how easy is it really to obtain a visa? Asked about the process to obtain a visa to Latvia, which has a complete ban on issuing tourist visas to Russians, a sales assistant at St Petersburg-based agency Visateka said they could help obtain entry 'through a third country.' They advised that the easiest document-wise for a June travel date would be France. For the equivalent of $300, the sales assistant said Visateka could reserve flights and a hotel, and prepare documents to take to the French embassy for a visa appointment. Visateka claims that for France, Italy and Spain, the chances of having a visa approved were around 93%. Their website claims that in the first two weeks of April, they've obtained 20 visas for Russian citizens to enter Latvia, 93 to Lithuania and 20 to Poland. 'Last year, we visited Riga to see the Christmas markets,' Daria from St. Petersburg told CNN. She requested her last name be omitted in fear of her next Schengen visa application being denied. With a Spanish visa, she flew to Istanbul, then to Madrid, before boarding a flight to the Latvian capital on the same day. 'No questions were asked at the airport,' she said about the use of her Spanish visa to visit Riga. 'It's common practice.' 'I'm not part of this war, I don't support Putin. I don't understand why I should be discriminated against and treated as if I'm a threat.' The Vinsky online travel forum is populated with similar stories. One holder of a French visa shared their experience of flying via Vienna, then taking a plane to Riga in the evening: 'I was worried about what to say, but in the end (at Vienna airport) they asked exactly zero questions.' Another, who had been granted an Italian tourist visa, said they flew to Rome and then on to Riga. One traveler from Moscow asked, 'If you enter Italy with an Italian visa and fly from Milan to Amsterdam a few days later, what are the risks?' Another responded, 'Once you get a visa, you'll be able to travel along the route you've planned without any stress.' Regarding the increase in visas issued in 2024, the EU Commission told CNN that it 'closely monitors the implementation of the guidelines through the Blueprint Network.' The Blueprint Network is the EU's framework for monitoring migration. 'The Commission is working with Member States to promote consistent implementation of the guidelines.' Last year, Hungary extended visa exemptions to Russians and Belarusians, and according to the European Travel Commission's statistics, Russian arrivals to Hungary increased by a third. In April 2024, Romania restarted issuing short-stay visas to Russian tourists on a discretionary basis after experiencing a drop in tourist revenue, another ETC report states. In early December, Italian visa centers in Moscow reduced processing times for visas. As the war grinds into its fourth third year, frustration is growing. Rihards Kozlovskis, Latvia's minister of internal affairs, has called on EU countries to join Latvia in banning Schengen tourist visas for Russian citizens. Speaking at a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council in Brussels, he said it is member states' 'moral duty to deny such a service.' 'We are facing both illegal border crossings and acts of sabotage, such as the burning of the Museum of the Occupation, drones crossing the border, propaganda attempts to influence public opinion, etc.,' Kozlovskis said. 'Therefore I urge all member states to take this threat seriously.' The Russian travel blogger CNN spoke to said he would be 'disappointed' if such sanctions were introduced. 'Russia has its own restrictions on travel to so-called 'unfriendly' countries. Police officers, judges and government employees are already prohibited from traveling, so those connected to the state are not going anywhere anyway,' he said. 'I don't think ordinary Russian travelers pose any kind of threat to the Latvian minister with their presence.' A European Commission spokesperson said that the organization had 'adopted clear sets of guidance to support Member States to deprioritize visas for Russians and focus on security and border control. Heightened scrutiny should be performed in a way that preserves the right to seek asylum and prevents risks of non-refoulement.' Ganty, the law academic, argued that such bans were never lawful. She described the de facto national-level ban against Russian citizens — introduced by Poland, Finland and the Baltic States — as a breach of EU law. 'These Russians who are applying for Schengen visas have mainly been depicted as tourists having fun in Europe, but there are lots of people who have family members across the border, there are people who are dissenters, there are health reasons why someone might need a short-stay visa,' she said. 'I think we really need to continue the dialogue with Russian citizens, especially those who are trying to flee the regime and oppose the regime. I think it's really important to be welcoming towards them.' When Mark Temynsky, a Ukrainian-American and fellow at the Atlantic Council's Eurasia Center, visited Montenegro in 2023 with his cousins, he was surprised at the number of Russians who were also there — and the reaction they got from the Russians while posing with a Ukrainian flag by St John's Fortress, a historic landmark overlooking the town of Kotor. 'We got some looks and stares from Russian speakers who were making comments (…) we're just taking photos with the flag,' he said. 'In Greece, as well as in Cyprus, when I was there in August of 2023, it was still very heavily visited by ethnic Russians and Russian speakers who were on holiday there and just again — from a moral perspective — it just did not sit with me that these people are supporting the country's war and then go on vacation. 'I have many family and friends in Ukraine who haven't been on vacation in several years because they don't know where to go, and many of them are not permitted to leave the country and fear for their safety. It's very strange.' He said he wants the EU to go further with bans on tourist visas. 'I would argue that European countries aren't doing this to punish the Russians, just for the sake of punishing the Russians. It's to explore other avenues to put additional pressures on Russia. And I think at this point, you gotta get creative, and if this is another way to do that, then I think there's no harm in trying to see what happens.'
