Russia reopens airport after Ukraine conflict shutdown

Russia's southern Krasnodar airport reopened Thursday, authorities said, after a three-and-a-half-year shutdown due to security concerns over the Ukraine conflict.

Moscow has closed most of the airports along the border with Ukraine, as Kyiv retaliated for Russia's offensive with drones and shelling, endangering air travel.

Ukraine's airspace has been completely closed since Russia sent troops in 2022 and has been pounding Ukrainian cities with hundreds of drones almost daily, killing people and destroying civilian infrastructure.

"Krasnodar airport is open for flights from 0900 MSK (0600 GMT) on September 11," said Russian aviation authority Rosaviatsiya, adding that the first regular flight will land from Moscow on September 17.

The airport, located some 400 kilometres (250 miles) from the front line in Ukraine, is Russia's ninth largest and had an annual passenger flow of around 4.6 million people before the offensive.

Ukraine has disrupted Russian air traffic over the travel-busy summer holiday season, including on Moscow airport.