On the morning of May 29, 2026, critical and military infrastructure facilities in the Volgograd region of the Russian Federation were subjected to a massive attack by unmanned aerial vehicles. The consequence of this security crisis was the complete paralysis of the local aviation hub, caused by the emergency introduction of the “Carpet” plan. This is reported by Channel 34. This incident is a direct result of the ongoing armed aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, which is increasingly being transferred deeper into the territory of the aggressor country itself, demonstrating the complete vulnerability of its rear regions.
Incident timeline and details
According to official reports from air traffic control services and eyewitness accounts, the events unfolded according to the following scenario:
Threat announcement: During the night and early morning hours of May 29, Russian air defense forces recorded the movement of a group of unidentified UAVs in the airspace of the Volgograd region.
Activation of the “Carpet” plan: Due to a direct threat to civilian aircraft, the military sector and Rosaviatsia announced the “Carpet” regime, which provides for an immediate ban on the use of airspace within the radius of the threat.
Airport blockade: Volgograd International Airport (Gumrak) completely stopped receiving and departing flights. Planes that were already in the air on approach to the city were urgently redirected to backup airfields (in particular, to Saratov and Astrakhan). Passengers of flights preparing for departure were blocked in the terminals.
Military-strategic context
The Volgograd region is an important military-logistical hub of the aggressor state. Its territory is home to:
Large oil refineries (in particular, the Volgograd Refinery), which provide fuel to the occupation forces.
Military airfields and training grounds (for example, the Marynivka airfield) used to launch strikes on the territory of Ukraine.
From Ukraine’s perspective, the destruction of facilities in the rear of the Russian Federation, the destruction of logistics, oil depots and military points of the enemy is a legitimate and necessary step to weaken the offensive potential of the occupation forces. The constant forced closure of airspace by the Russian authorities indicates a systemic crisis in their air defense system, which is unable to simultaneously protect both the front line and strategic facilities in the rear.
Consequences for the Russian Federation’s civilian infrastructure
Today’s event once again confirmed that Russian civil aviation, which has been under severe international sanctions for more than four years due to a shortage of certified spare parts, is now suffering additional huge losses due to internal security problems. Massive flight delays, fuel overruns due to forced flights to backup airfields, and growing panic among passengers are destroying the Russian Federation’s internal transport system.
The local authorities of Volgograd are forced to activate civil defense protocols, urging citizens to take shelter in dugouts and avoid open spaces, which clearly demonstrates to the population of the Russian Federation the real cost of the aggressive war that their state is waging.