Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić’s flight to Moscow for the May 9 Victory Day parade was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Baku after being denied access to several European airspaces and facing reported security threats, including the risk from air defense systems along the planned route.
Reports indicate that Latvia and Lithuania explicitly barred Vučić’s aircraft from entering their airspace, following the European Union’s warning that his participation in Russia’s Victory Day celebrations could negatively impact Serbia’s ongoing EU accession process.
In a similar diplomatic snub, Poland and Lithuania also blocked Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico from attending the Moscow event, while Estonia issued a blanket ban on all flights headed to Russia for the commemoration.
These coordinated airspace restrictions by EU-aligned countries, particularly those supporting Ukraine, seem aimed at undermining the 80th anniversary celebrations of the Soviet Union’s victory over Nazi Germany. At the same time, Ukrainian forces have reportedly stepped up attacks near Moscow, further complicating security for the arrival of foreign dignitaries.
Despite the disruption, Serbian media report that Vučić’s plane has since resumed its journey from Baku and is expected to reach Moscow in time for the commemorations.
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