Ukrainian drones spark chaos, grounding flights in Russia
A massive Russian attack on Ukraine triggered an air alert across the country on Tuesday morning. However, it wasn't just a challenging morning for Ukrainians; Russians also faced disruptions. A drone attack prompted the implementation of the "Carpet" plan at several Russian airports.
What is the "Carpet" plan? It involves the suspension of air operations at an airport, activated when "potentially dangerous objects" are detected in the sky. The plan requires that all aircraft in the airspace must either land or exit the threatened area. No aircraft may take off from an airport under the "Carpet" plan.
According to the BAZA channel on Telegram, the "Carpet" plan was implemented in the morning at airports in Makhachkala (the capital of the Autonomous Republic of Dagestan), Ulyanovsk (Ulyanovsk Oblast, located about 500 miles east of Moscow), Saratov (Saratov Oblast, near the Engels airbase), Vladikavkaz (the capital of the Republic of North Ossetia), Grozny (Chechnya), and Kazan (the capital of Tatarstan).
Ukrainian drone attack?
The closure of several airports for "safety reasons" was also confirmed in dispatches by the Ria Novosti agency.
BAZA reports that the actual reason for the "Carpet" plan was Ukrainian drone attacks. Authorities in North Ossetia reported shooting down two drones in the region: one over the Shalkhi training ground, the other in the Prigorodny city area. An air alert was even announced in this area in the morning.
After several hours, operations at all airports were resumed.
The Russian Ministry of Defense claimed in the morning that it had shot down 68 Ukrainian drones in Russia. It also stated it had destroyed 8 unmanned drones.
Source: Telegram/BAZA, ria.ru
