Serbian president's Moscow-bound plane makes emergency landing in Baku due to Russia's flight restrictions amid drone attacks
A plane carrying Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić to Moscow for Russia’s upcoming Victory Day parade made an emergency landing in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Wednesday, according to the Serbian newspaper Blic.
The outlet reports that the aircraft was unable to complete its flight as planned due to airspace restrictions at Moscow airports imposed in response to Ukrainian drone attacks.
The plane was reportedly awaiting clearance to proceed. The Serbian Embassy told Russia's TASS media agency that Vučić’s visit to Moscow remains on schedule.
A source at Baku Airport later told Russia's RIA Novosti that Vučić’s plane had departed for Moscow. Serbian media corroborated this information.
On Tuesday, Serbian media reported that Latvia and Lithuania had denied Vučić’s’s plane permission to fly through their airspace on its way to Russia. According to the reports, Latvian authorities cited the “political sensitivity of the flight’s purpose,” while Lithuanian officials pointed to “technical and diplomatic sensitivity” as grounds for their refusal.
Over the past 24 hours, Moscow airports have suspended numerous arrivals and departures due to airspace closures prompted by drone activity. Dozens of flights were canceled. The Association of Tour Operators of Russia said the disruptions affected at least 60,000 passengers, with more than 350 flights impacted.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier urged world leaders not to attend the May 9 Victory Day events in Moscow, citing security concerns. He remarked that Russian authorities were “rightly" worried about holding the parade.
We are also preparing for talks with the United States on new sanctions steps – we are identifying precisely those pressure points of Russia that will most effectively push Moscow toward diplomacy. They must take clear steps to end the war, and we insist that an unconditional and full ceasefire must become the first step. Russia has to make that move. Right now, they’re worried about whether they can hold their military parade – and rightly so. But what they really should be worried about is that this war is still ongoing. They must end the war.