The Russian state agency RIA Novosti reports that the airspace over St. Petersburg, now reopened, had been closed due to an unidentified flying object. The agency cites the city’s emergency services. According to the Russian news site Baza the closure was ordered after the sighting of an unidentified object, perhaps a drone, and fighter planes were sent to investigate, but these reports have not been confirmed at the moment
In the morning, the announcement was made that the airspace over St. Petersburg would be closed for a radius of 200 kilometres. The city authorities had announced, in a statement on Telegram, a temporary halt of flights arriving and departing from Pulkovo airport. “We inform you of the introduction of a temporary airspace restriction until 10:20 UTC (+3 hours Moscow time) in the area surrounding [l’aeroporto di Pulkovo] within a radius of 200 km, at all altitudes. We ask you to use alternative flight routes and make sure you have sufficient fuel reserves. The reasons for the flight cancellations will be communicated later,” the announcement said.
The Kremlin has announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin is “fully informed” about what happened in St. Petersburg. The spokesman Dmitry Peskov with regard to the causes of the incident, invited to wait for the explanations that will be given by the civil aviation authority and the armed forces.
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