Moscow airport restrictions divert planes, including aircraft back from Putin's trip
In short
Flight restrictions at Moscow airports sent planes to alternate airfields on 8 and 9 October, with TASS reporting ten Vnukovo-bound aircraft diverted on 8 October and later 15. On the evening of 9 October, Meduza reported, five aircraft of the special flight detachment Rossiya, at least three of them returning from Putin's trip to Turkmenistan, could not land immediately because of the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack.
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Ten planes heading to Moscow's Vnukovo airport were sent to alternate airfields on 8 October because of restrictions at the airport, TASS and Kommersant reported. Kommersant, citing Vnukovo, said flight restrictions had been in force there for more than three hours. TASS reported that passengers were advised to check the status of their flights in advance on the online board, by calling the airport's information line or through a chatbot. Earlier that day TASS had reported that Vnukovo warned of flight delays because of restrictions at airports, with seven planes landing at alternate airfields to refuel, and later that eight planes could not land in Moscow because of safety restrictions. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
"The situation at the airport is calm. Please follow announcements from airlines," Vnukovo said on its Telegram channel, according to Kommersant. Kommersant also referred to restrictions on Vnukovo, Domodedovo and Zhukovsky and to partial restrictions under which an airport serves flights by agreement with the authorities. It reported that soon after the airports closed, Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov spoke of a drone strike on Podolsk, in which a man died and a woman was injured. [ 4 ]
Overnight into 9 October, more than ten planes flying to Moscow could not land and were redirected to alternate airfields because of restrictions in the capital, Moscow airports told TASS, as reported by Kommersant. TASS later reported that 15 planes flying to Vnukovo had gone to alternate airfields. [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]
On the evening of 9 October, several aircraft of the special flight detachment Rossiya, which carries top officials, circled over Moscow because of the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack, Meduza reported. In all, five of its aircraft could not land immediately, and at least three were returning from Turkmenistan, where Putin had attended a CIS summit. According to Flightradar24 data cited by Meduza, the Il-96 aircraft RA-96020 and RA-96022 left Turkmenbashi at 14:00 and 14:15 and landed at Vnukovo at 18:06 and 18:21. A third Il-96, RA-96025, which left Turkmenbashi at 15:52, flew over Moscow and was redirected to Pulkovo in St Petersburg, from where it later flew to Moscow. [ 8 ]
Meduza said restrictions were introduced at all Moscow airports at about 15:40 and fully lifted by 18:40, and cited an estimate by the outlet Ostorozhno Novosti (Осторожно, новости) that more than 200 flights were delayed and more than a hundred cancelled. It is not known for certain which aircraft Putin was on; Agentstvo (Агентство) suggested RA-96025, on which he flew to Turkmenistan on 8 October. Meduza noted that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky threatened in early September to "close the sky" over Russia, which Putin called "a bid for state terrorism", and that Russia's Transport Ministry said aviation services would not allow "significant interruptions" to civil aviation. [ 8 ]
Why it matters
The restrictions disrupted air traffic into Moscow over consecutive days, and the outlet Ostorozhno Novosti estimated that more than 200 flights were delayed and more than a hundred cancelled during the 9 October restrictions, according to Meduza. Meduza reported that aircraft used for presidential flights were among those affected, while Russia's Transport Ministry had earlier said aviation services would not allow "significant interruptions" to civil aviation.
Key facts
- Ten planes heading to Vnukovo airport were sent to alternate airfields on 8 October because of restrictions there. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Flight restrictions at Vnukovo had been in force for more than three hours, Kommersant reported on 8 October. [ 4 ]
- More than ten planes bound for Moscow could not land overnight and were redirected to alternate airfields. [ 5 , 6 ]
- TASS reported that 15 planes flying to Vnukovo went to alternate airfields. [ 7 ]
- Five aircraft of the Rossiya special flight detachment could not land immediately on the evening of 9 October because of the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack, Meduza reported. [ 8 ]
- Restrictions were introduced at all Moscow airports at about 15:40 and fully lifted by 18:40, according to Meduza. [ 8 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Ten planes bound for Vnukovo were diverted to alternate airfields on 8 October because of restrictions at the airport. [ 3 , 4 ]
- More than ten planes heading to Moscow could not land because of restrictions and went to alternate airfields. [ 5 , 6 ]
- Seven planes landed at alternate airfields to refuel, and Vnukovo warned of flight delays because of restrictions at airports. [ 1 ]
- Eight planes could not land in Moscow because of safety restrictions and went to alternate airfields. [ 2 ]
- Fifteen planes flying to Vnukovo went to alternate airfields. [ 7 ]
Still unclear
- Which aircraft Putin was on when returning from Turkmenistan. Meduza says this is not known for certain; Agentstvo suggests the Il-96 RA-96025, which was redirected to St Petersburg's Pulkovo airport.
- Whether the 15 diverted Vnukovo flights include the ten reported earlier. The reports give rising totals at different times without saying whether they are cumulative.
- More than 200 flights delayed and more than a hundred cancelled during the 9 October restrictions. This is an estimate by Ostorozhno Novosti, cited by Meduza, and not confirmed by other documents.
- The drone strike on Podolsk, in which a man died and a woman was injured. Only Kommersant mentions it, citing Moscow Region Governor Andrei Vorobyov, and does not say it was linked to the airport restrictions beyond timing.
- The reason for the restrictions on 8 October. TASS refers to safety restrictions; only Meduza, for 9 October, links restrictions to the threat of a Ukrainian drone attack.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- 8 October: TASS reports Vnukovo warned of flight delays due to restrictions at airports; seven planes landed at alternate airfields to refuel. [ 1 ]
- 8 October: TASS reports eight planes could not land in Moscow because of safety restrictions. [ 2 ]
- 8 October: TASS reports ten planes went to alternate airfields because of restrictions at Vnukovo. [ 3 ]
- 8 October: Kommersant reports restrictions at Vnukovo have been in force for more than three hours. [ 4 ]
- 9 October: TASS reports more than ten planes could not land in Moscow because of restrictions. [ 5 ]
- 9 October: TASS reports 15 planes flying to Vnukovo went to alternate airfields. [ 7 ]
- TASS reports Putin has completed his visit to Turkmenistan and boarded a Rossiya detachment aircraft. [ 8 ]
- Restrictions are introduced at all Moscow airports, according to Meduza. [ 8 ]
- Il-96 RA-96020 lands at Vnukovo after manoeuvring over Moscow and the Moscow region; RA-96022 follows at 18:21. [ 8 ]
- Restrictions at Moscow airports are fully lifted, according to Meduza. [ 8 ]