As the authors note, during this time the airport was open for a total of only eight minutes. 39 arrivals and 37 departures were delayed and a further 17 flights were canceled.
Dense crowds of people gathered in the terminals. There are practically no free seats: passengers are forced to sit and lie directly on the floor, using towels and tourist mats.
“There is not a single free chair. People are lying on the floor. All information stands are occupied, there is no clarity. The information boards are empty,” one of the passengers told 93.Ru.
According to Mash, due to airport overload, the elevators are breaking down, the halls are stuffy, and cases of fainting have been reported.
Airport paralysis
Some of the planes are heading towards alternate airports: for example, the Moscow-Sochi flight was first diverted to Astrakhan and then to Mineralnye Vody. Moreover, the airport does not check in for a number of flights, and passengers do not receive clear information and in practice do not know how to behave.
Such disruptions to air traffic due to drone attacks are nothing new. At the beginning of May, according to estimates of the independent website Novaya Gazeta, approximately 1,000 flights were delayed at Moscow's Vnukovo, Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo airports. departures and over 1.2 thousand arrivals, and approximately 300 flights were canceled.
The article continues below the video
Passengers spent days in terminals without clear information, slept on the floor and tried to find alternative routes, including through Saint Petersburg.
A wider crisis
Hotels in Sochi are entering the summer season with plummeting occupancy rates due to the spill of petroleum products into the Black Sea and regular drone attacks.
Despite a noticeable drop in prices, the resort is not yet able to attract tourists. According to data from the Association of Tour Operators (ATOR), in May the cost of accommodation dropped by over 15 percent, but only 25-30 percent were sold for the summer. rooms. Data from Hotel Advisors show that the price decline has been going on for several months. In March it was 6.8 percent. year to year, in April – 12.9% and in May – 15.4%.
Nevertheless, in the period January–April hotel occupancy on the coast decreased by 14.2%.and in the mountain cluster – by 5.9%.
One of the main reasons are restrictions on airport operations resulting from the “Kowier” plan, which is regularly implemented in connection with drone attacks, says Daria Niemkowa from Hotel Advisors. — Guests are currently choosing trips to Sochi very carefully. Stability and safety are important to them, the expert notes.
Ukrainian drones
The decline in interest in relaxing in Sochi is also due to ecological problems in the region: oil spill after the tanker disaster in December 2024, new oil spills off the coast of Anapa after drone attacks on ships in the Black and Azov Seas, and oil rains in Tuapse after the refinery was hit.
Ukrainian drone strikes are causing increasing paralysis in Russia. On the night of June 8, Ukrainian forces launched a massive drone attack on Novorossiysk, targeting an oil transshipment complex where a fire broke out. Earlier in the evening, Ukrainian drones also attacked the Volgograd Oblast. The target was a station that pumps up to 62.6 million tonnes of oil annually and delivers it to the port of Novorossiysk.
In turn, drivers in Russian-controlled Crimea are struggling with fuel shortages after the Ukrainian attacks. Limits have been introduced at stations.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
