Russian Planes Had to Wait in the Sky When Drones Closed Airports

Russian government planes returning from Putin’s Oct. 8-9 trip to Turkmenistan had to fly in circles over Moscow on Oct. 9, 2026, because reports of Ukrainian drones forced airports to close, like a roadblock in the sky. All four Moscow airports paused flights for hours. The Kremlin has not commented on claims Putin’s travel was affected.