Putin Reportedly Unable to Land in Moscow as Drones Paralyze Russia’s Capital

Russian leader Vladimir Putin was reportedly unable to land in Moscow on October 9 as a large-scale drone alert paralyzed the capital’s airports, forcing a presidential aircraft returning from Turkmenistan to divert to St. Petersburg. However, it remains unclear whether Putin himself was aboard the diverted plane.

According to The New York Times on October 9, flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed several Russian government aircraft approaching Moscow during widespread airspace restrictions. Some circled near the capital, while others were redirected to alternative airports.

The disruptions followed reports of drones and balloons approaching Moscow, prompting authorities to temporarily suspend flights at all major airports serving the city for several hours.

Among the affected aircraft was an Il-96 presidential jet with registration number 96025. According to flight-tracking records cited by The New York Times, the aircraft departed Turkmenbashi after two other government planes but was unable to complete its scheduled arrival in Moscow.

Instead, the aircraft diverted to St. Petersburg before continuing to the Russian capital later. Putin had previously been photographed disembarking from the same aircraft during his visit to Turkmenistan, where he attended a Commonwealth of Independent States summit.

The Russian Telegram channel Novaya Ploshchad reported that four aircraft belonging to Russia’s Special Flight Detachment, including three returning from Turkmenistan, were forced to perform holding maneuvers near Moscow.

According to the channel, such a disruption involving government aircraft returning from an international visit had not occurred since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

However, it remains unclear whether Putin himself was aboard the aircraft diverted to St. Petersburg. Russian authorities have not officially commented on the incident or confirmed which aircraft carried the Russian leader back to Moscow.

As The New York Times noted, Putin has access to several Il-96-300PU aircraft equipped to function as airborne command centers, including during a nuclear emergency.

Earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy warned on September 1 that Russian airspace was becoming increasingly unsafe for aviation due to ongoing drone activity. He said the war launched by Moscow was effectively closing its own skies, even as Russian authorities failed to adequately warn international airlines about the risks.

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