'The days of safety are over': Russian airports face record closures

# Why This Matters The unprecedented scale of Russian airport closures signals a fundamental shift in how Ukraine is prosecuting its air war, moving beyond symbolic strikes to sustained operational disruption of Russian military logistics. By targeting airports across major population centers simultaneously, Ukraine is forcing Russia to either disperse its air assets to vulnerable secondary bases or ground aircraft entirely, degrading the Kremlin's ability to maintain air superiority and conduct sustained operations in active theaters. The pressure on civilian aviation infrastructure also creates secondary economic consequences—disrupting domestic connectivity for a country already grappling with sanctions—while the psychological effect of persistent vulnerability across major cities could strain Russian public confidence in state protections. As Ukraine demonstrates it can repeatedly strike deep into Russian territory despite air defenses, the calculus for Russia's military planning fundamentally changes, potentially forcing costly new investments in point defense or a strategic reassessment of how to protect the vastly expanded territory it now controls.