Drone attack forces flight carrying Kanimozhi-led team to hover mid air for 45 minutes; lands safely in Moscow

Moscow/New Delhi: There were some anxious moments as a flight with an Indian outreach team led by DMK MP Kanimozhi on board landed at Moscow airport safely after being airborne for 45 minutes due to reported drone attacks by Ukraine.

The seven-member Indian MP delegation left for Moscow from New Delhi on Thursday night.

According to reports, when the flight neared the Moscow airport, there were a series of drone attacks and the airport was briefly shut as a precautionary measure.

As the flight could not land in time, it hovered in mid air for about 45 minutes, before things normalised and the aircraft landed safely at the airport.

The delegation was received by the Indian Embassy officials with a bouquet of flowers.

Later, in a post on X, Kanimozhi wrote "Our All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, conveyed to H.E. Mr. Andrey Denisov, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs, Russia, and distinguished Senators, India’s united and resolute stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, reaffirming our national consensus and unwavering commitment to a zero-tolerance policy."

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Our All-Party Parliamentary Delegation, conveyed to H.E. Mr. Andrey Denisov, First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs, Russia, and distinguished Senators, India’s united and resolute stance against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, reaffirming our… pic.twitter.com/99sit2s2Vn

— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) May 23, 2025 >

Sharing photos of the meeting, she said "At the constructive meeting we exchanged views on issues of mutual concern with respect to terrorism."

In another post, she said "Our All-Party Parliamentary Delegation conveyed to H.E. Mr. Leonid Slutsky, Chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, and other honourable Members of the State Duma, India’s unequivocal and unconditional resolve to defeat all forms of terrorism, emphasising our uncompromising stance and national determination to eradicate it."

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Our All-Party Parliamentary Delegation conveyed to H.E. Mr. Leonid Slutsky, Chair of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs, and other honourable Members of the State Duma, India’s unequivocal and unconditional resolve to defeat all forms of terrorism, emphasising our… pic.twitter.com/FzHmEg2NJ1

— Kanimozhi (கனிமொழி) (@KanimozhiDMK) May 23, 2025 >

The team led by Kanimozhi was one of the seven all-party MPs delegation formed by the Indian government to highlight India's stand on terrorism following the launch of Operation Sindoor to demolish terror camps in Pakistan and stress on its commitment to zero tolerance for terrorism.

Operation Sindoor was launched to avenge the Pahalgam terror attacks in which 26 tourists were killed on April 22.

The operation led to escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan and uneasy situation on the borders before a ceasefire was announced ending the military attack by both sides to ease the tensions.

Besides, DMK MP Kanimozhi, the other members of the delegation are: Rajeev Rai, MP, National Secretary and Spokesperson, Samajwadi Party; Capt. Brijesh Chowta (Retd.), MP, BJP; Prem Chand Gupta, Rajya Sabha MP, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD); Ashok Kumar Mittal, Rajya Sabha MP, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP); Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri, Former Ambassador to the EU, Belgium, Luxembourg and Nepal; Former Deputy Permanent Representative of India to the UN.