Ukraine: Feared drone attack on Moscow Airport delays Kanimozhi-led delegation
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: A parliamentary delegation from India, which went to Russia as part of the country’s diplomatic outreach during the ongoing Operation Sindoor, against Pakistan-backed terrorism, found their flight delayed due to a feared drone attack by Ukraine on Moscow Airport on Thursday.
The all-party, high-level delegation, led by DMK MP Kanimozhi, was en route to Moscow to brief Russian leadership about the Operation Sindoor when a feared drone strike shut the airport mid-flight, the media reported on Friday.
The delegation to Russia was scheduled to meet with First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs, senators of the Russian Duma, senior officials from the Russian Foreign Ministry, and prominent Russian think-tank experts on Friday.
Their flight to Moscow was forced to circle mid-air for hours following a drone strike near the Russian capital. The attack, reportedly carried out by Ukrainian drones, led to the temporary shutdown of Domodedovo International Airport, halting all domestic and international flight operations.
The delegation is currently on a diplomatic mission to brief several countries on India’s ongoing Operation Sindoor, launched on May 6 in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir.
With airport operations suspended for safety reasons, the flight carrying MPs and former diplomats remained airborne until it was eventually cleared to land safely.
“Due to the drone strike, the Moscow Airport was shut and our flight had to hover in the air for a long time before we got landing permission,” said a member of Kanimozhi’s team on Friday.
Upon landing, the delegation was received by officials from the Indian Embassy in Russia, who ensured their secure transport to the hotel.
The Kanimozhi team is scheduled to visit Russia, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, and Latvia as part of India’s strategic outreach to highlight its position on cross-border terrorism. The Operation Sindoor aims to expose Pakistan’s involvement in sponsoring terrorism and build international consensus on the issue.
The delegation includes Rajeev Rai (Samajwadi Party), Mian Altaf Ahmad (National Conference), Brijesh Chowtha (BJP), Prem Chand Gupta (RJD), Ashok Kumar Mittal (AAP), and former diplomats Manjeev S Puri and Jawed Ashraf.
A press conference and media interaction are also scheduled for Saturday, ahead of the delegation’s departure to Slovenia.
