Putin's Return to Moscow Possibly Delayed by Drone Threat, Media Report
Russian President Vladimir Putin's return from Turkmenistan on 9 October may have been delayed by the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack that restricted Moscow's airports. There is no official confirmation that the restrictions affected Putin's own flight.
The return of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Moscow from a visit to Turkmenistan may have been delayed by the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack, which led to restrictions at the Russian capital's airports on 9 October. The claim comes from the Ukrainian outlet NV, citing Russian sources and flight data compiled by the independent Russian outlet Vazhnyye Istorii. It has not been confirmed which aircraft Putin was actually on.
What is known about the flights
The Russian state news agency TASS reported that Putin finished his visit to Turkmenistan on 8 October and boarded a special aviation unit aircraft with his delegation at Turkmenbashi International Airport. Representatives of the flight-tracking projects BlueSky and Johnny Gemini later said the presidential plane and accompanying aircraft had left Turkmenistan.
The Russian Telegram channel Novaya Ploshchad reported that four government aviation aircraft circled in a holding zone near Moscow because local airports were closed over drone threats. Flights due to land at Vnukovo airport were redirected to alternate airfields. The channel later said Moscow airports had resumed accepting aircraft, while one government plane had landed in St Petersburg.
Analysing flight data, Vazhnyye Istorii concluded that two planes from Turkmenbashi landed at Vnukovo after additional manoeuvres, at 18:06 and 18:21. A third, which left Turkmenistan at 15:52, did not land in Moscow and was diverted to Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg. Another aircraft of the presidential unit, which had departed from St Petersburg, landed at Vnukovo at 17:43 after circling for longer.
Putin's delegation travelled on Il-96-300PU aircraft, nicknamed "doomsday planes". They are fitted with communications systems intended to maintain control of the state and armed forces even in a nuclear war. Vazhnyye Istorii stresses that it is unknown which plane carried Putin, so it cannot be confirmed that his aircraft was diverted.
The drone attack on Moscow
The Russian Telegram channel Astra reported that residents of several Moscow districts heard explosions and air defence systems operating. Flight restrictions were introduced at all four of Moscow's largest airports: Vnukovo, Domodedovo, Zhukovsky and Sheremetyevo. Three of them had also been closed overnight from 8 to 9 October because of the drone attack.
