Ukrainian drone threat disrupts landing of Russian government planes in Moscow after Putin's Turkmenistan trip
On the evening of October 9, several aircraft used to transport Russia's leaders circled over Moscow because of a Ukrainian drone threat. Some were returning from a Commonwealth of Independent States summit in Turkmenistan attended by President Vladimir Putin.
Several aircraft from the Rossiya Special Flight Detachment, which carries Russia's leadership and senior officials, were unable to land right away in Moscow on the evening of October 9 and circled over the city. The reason was the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack. Five of the detachment's aircraft were affected, and at least three were returning from Turkmenistan, where Russian President Vladimir Putin had attended a summit of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Several Russian news outlets and Telegram channels reported this.
What is known about the flights
All three planes were Il-96s, the type used to carry the president, according to the outlet Agentstvo. Flightradar24 data shows that two of them (RA-96020 and RA-96022) left Turkmenbashi Airport at about 2:00 p.m. and 2:15 p.m. and landed at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport at 6:06 p.m. and 6:21 p.m. respectively. In the meantime they circled over Moscow and the surrounding region.
The third plane (RA-96025) left Turkmenbashi at 3:52 p.m. and flew over Moscow, although it had been scheduled to land at Vnukovo. It was diverted to St. Petersburg's Pulkovo Airport and later departed for Moscow.
Airport restrictions
Restrictions were imposed at all Moscow airports at around 3:40 p.m. and fully lifted by 6:40 p.m. According to estimates from Ostorozhno, Novosti, more than 200 flights were delayed and more than 100 were canceled.
It is unclear which aircraft carried Putin. At 1:52 p.m., TASS reported that he had finished his visit to Turkmenistan and boarded one of the Rossiya detachment's planes. Agentstvo suggested it may have been RA-96025, the aircraft he used to fly to Turkmenistan on October 8.
Earlier threats
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had threatened in early September to "close the skies" over Russia. Putin called the statement "a signal of intent to commit state terrorism." Russia's Transport Ministry said in response that the country's aviation services would prevent "significant disruptions" to civil aviation.
