El Al will suspend its Tel Aviv-Moscow flights for the coming days due to developments between Russia and Ukraine and recent aviation incidents in the region, a spokesperson said on Thursday.
The airline will reassess the situation next week and decide whether to resume operations, with passengers to be informed and offered alternatives in accordance with the law.
Ukraine's military hit an oil depot in Russia's Krasnodar region and two oil refineries in the Ufa region, 1,500 km from the Ukrainian border, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday.
Kyiv's intensified air strikes on Russian energy infrastructure hit targets as far away as Siberia, more than 2,000 kilometers rom the front line, undermining the availability of gasoline and diesel in Russia, the world's third-largest oil producer.
Ukrainian strikes halt Russian oil sales
In Crimea on Sunday, Ukraine targeted a Russian port and fuel transit terminals in the Kerch Strait. Videos from social media show fiery explosions at a port late at night, with thick smoke surrounding what appear to be oil tanks.
Since then, Ukrainian attacks on maritime logistics and supply roads have sparked a fuel crisis in Russia and areas of Ukraine it controls, leaving it to ban exports of gasoline and jet fuel.
Russia is considering a diesel export ban, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday, while a newspaper reported on possible fuel imports to tackle shortages, especially in Crimea, which tightened restrictions on public services and activities.
Sevastopol, Crimea, restricted the operating hours of public transport, shops, cafes, and streetlights, and also banned mass outdoor activities, in addition to previously announced fuel sales limits.
Mikhail Razvozhayev, the Russian-installed governor of Sevastopol, home to Russia's Black Sea Fleet, announced on Monday evening "enforced temporary measures," including the closure of public transport at 10 p.m., and of large shops and cafes at 8 p.m. Street lighting was dimmed.