Pulkovo airport in St. Petersburg was evacuated earlier today, following reports of a possible bomb threat, according to the Fontanka news website.
“After receiving messages about the danger of unlawful interference with the work of the airport, an evacuation of the terminal building was carried out,” passengers say they were informed. “Entry and exit into the terminal is temporarily closed. Transportation police together with the airport’s security service are carrying out safety measures.”
Maria Michela D'Alessandro of The Moscow Times was at Pulkovo during the evacuation. "People were panicked. They are looking for a bomb in the arrivals sections of Terminal One. At 5:45 p.m., they allowed passengers who had arrived to leave the airport. Firemen and police are blocking the entrance. It's possible to go in, but all flights are cancelled. Lufthansa appears to have cancelled a flight for tomorrow morning," she reported at the time, before the airport resumed normal operations.
Pulkovo is now experiencing departure delays. Passengers in arriving planes were made to wait inside their planes, while police swept the airport.
According to Fontanka, the airport received the bomb threat at 4:05 p.m. local time.
