The Pulkovo administration has restricted departures from the airport due to a major fire. The Federal Air Transport Agency reported this to 78.ru.
“To ensure the safety of civil aircraft flights, from 17:00 on March 10, restrictions have been introduced on the operation of Pulkovo Airport. Aircraft crews, air traffic controllers and airport services are taking all necessary measures to ensure flight safety — this is the main priority,” the department said in a statement.
Presumably, the restrictions were introduced due to a fire in the Volkhonskoye Highway area. According to Fontanka and TASS, a hangar was burning there on the territory of the Gorelovo regional production zone. According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the fire has already been localized; its area was one thousand square meters. The department also writes about two victims.
The exact cause of the fire in Gorelovo has not been specified. Governor of the Leningrad Region Alexander Drozdenko reports that the “airspace closure regime” was introduced due to a drone shot down near the village of Fornosovo. Shortly before news of the burning hangar appeared, the governor of the nearby Novgorod region, Andrei Nikitin, also wrote in his Telegram channel about a downed drone.