Russian air travel collapsed on July 5 to July 6, with hundreds of flights cancelled and thousands delayed, especially in Moscow and St Petersburg, due to restrictions on airspace caused by Ukrainian drone attacks, according to Vedomosti and Kommersant dailies.

The disruptions could cost airlines up to RUB20bn ($284mn), with the cancellations affect just three airports (Sheremetyevo, Pulkovo and Strigino) accounting for an estimated RUB4bn-RUB6bn ($57-85mn) in direct losses, according to Kommersant citing unnamed industry sources.

As the chaos in the main aviation hubs in Russia unfolded, Transport Minister Roman Starovoit was found dead, having allegedly committed suicide shorty after being fired by President Vladimir Putin, according to Meduza and RBC business portal citing multiple media, Telegram channels and unnamed sources.

Reportedly, Starovoit was found dead with a trophy Makarov pistol gifted by the Ministry of the Interior that allegedly was used to take his own life.

Acting Transport Minister Andrei Nikitin said that the collapse at the airports will be the first task he will tackle in his position, according to Vedomosti.

Ex-Minister Starovoit, who led the Kursk region bordering Ukraine from October 2018 to May 2024 before helming the Transport Ministry, was reportedly under scrutiny for embezzlement during the construction of defensive military structures in the region. 

The allegations surfaced after the arrest of his successor, former governor Alexei Smirnov, in April 2025, according to Meduza. The latter was accused of syphoning of more than RUB1bn ($14.2mn) in state funds, allocated for so-called anti-tank “dragon’s teeth” fortifications. 

The fortifications were reportedly poorly built and disintegrated under adverse weather, which could have contributed to the capturing of Kursk by the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

Notably, Forbes reported that Starovoit had died on the night of July 5-6, though the Kremlin only announced his resignation on July 7. Presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on his departure only hours before news of his death emerged.

As followed by bne IntelliNews, most recently the Russian aviation sector has been rocked by controversy.

The state has effectively nationalised Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport, after the Prosecutor General’s Office filed cases in January against 32 legal entities and its owner, billionaire Dmitry Kamenshchik.

Russia is also trailing way behind its own ambitious plans to revamp domestic aviation with home-built passenger jets. 

State air carrier Aeroflot in the meantime is back in focus as the Russian authorities have reportedly been pushing for the lifting of US sanctions on the airline as a condition for resuming direct flights between Russia and the United States.

Despite continuous sanctions, in 2024 the company posted its first profit since 2019, adopted a dividend policy, and paid its first dividend in six years.