Russia: Security forces remove protesters from Makhachkala Uytash Airport late Oct. 29, confirm Tel Aviv flight passengers 'in safe place' /update 1

Russia's Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) has confirmed that Makhachkala Uytash Airport (MCX) in Makhachkala, Dagestan, will tentatively remain closed to arriving aircraft until at least 02:59 Nov. 6 after hundreds of pro-Palestinian protesters stormed the facility Oct. 29. The unrest reportedly came amid the arrival of a flight at MCX from Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport (TLV). Some of the demonstrators breached the airfield and surrounded the landed aircraft, prompting authorities to close the airport and divert flights to other locations as security forces worked to remove them from the area. More than 20 people were injured amid the incident, including police officers and civilians, and nearby roads were reportedly blocked. Security forces had cleared the protesters from the facility by 22:20 and confirmed that the Tel Aviv flight's passengers were "in a safe place."

Heightened security and disruptions to ground transport and business will likely impact the area around MCX over the coming hours. Flight disruptions will impact MCX until at least early Nov. 6; authorities may extend, rescind, or otherwise modify the inbound flight suspension on short notice. Similar protests and riots are possible in Makhachkala over the short term and may increase in frequency and scale in response to developments in the Israel-Hamas war. Additional protest-related flight disruptions cannot be ruled out at MCX over the coming days.