A sudden drone strike forced Pulkovo to halt operations, disrupting European routes. Some Shanghai flights crossed into Finland before continuing westward.
Planes operated by Chinese airlines bound for Europe were redirected via Finland after the airport in the Saint Petersburg region briefly closed early Sunday due to a drone attack.
According to Finnish radio station Yle, Pulkovo Airport was closed for several hours.
It was noted that planes from China, whose routes usually pass south of Saint Petersburg via the Gulf of Finland, were redirected through Finnish territory.
Early in the morning, several aircraft from Shanghai crossed the eastern border near Joensuu and continued their flight through Finland to Central Europe.
Planes waiting for Pulkovo to reopen were circling east of Saint Petersburg; dozens of flights were delayed or canceled.