Flight carrying Operation Sindoor delegation 'circled mid-air' after drone attack on Moscow
After circling in the sky for some time, the flight landed safely in Moscow on Thursday night.
The flight carrying DMK MP Kanimozhi-led Operation Sindoor delegation to Moscow had to circle in the sky for some time due to a drone attack on the city, but later landed safely on Thursday night, news agency PTI reported, citing sources.
Sources close to Kanimozhi, a Lok Sabha member, said the flight had to circle mid-air, as per the report.
"It circled in the air and later landed and there was a delay of 45 minutes. She (Kanimozhi) landed safely," sources close to the MP told the news agency.
Kanimozhi is leading the delegation of MPs deputed by the Centre as part of an international outreach about India’s approach to combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and explaining the rationale behind Operation Sindoor.
Also Read | 'Enough is enough': India's all-party delegations arrive in Russia, other nations to expose Pakistan
The delegation led by Kanimozhi includes SP MP Rajeev Rai, NC MP Mian Altaf Ahmad, BJP MP Captain Brijesh Chowkta, RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta, AAP MP Ashok Kumar Mittal, former Ambassador Manjeev Singh Puri and NCP MP Jawed Ashraf. Besides Russia, the delegation will visit Slovenia, Greece, Latvia, and Spain.
On Friday, the delegation met First Deputy Chair of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, Andrey Denisov and other senators in Moscow.
In a post on X, the Indian Embassy in Russia wrote: "Together in the fight against terrorism! All-Party Delegation led by Hon'ble MP @KanimozhiDMK in the Federation Council of the Russian Federation with First Deputy Chair of the Committee on International Affairs H.E. Mr. Andrey Denisov and other Senators."
Also Read | What India's Op Sindoor global outreach delegations told UAE, Japan as they exposed Pakistan
Earlier in the day, India's Ambassador to Russia, Vinay Kumar, had briefed the all-party parliamentary delegation on various aspects of India-Russia ties.
Drone attack on Russia
Air traffic around Moscow was disrupted on Thursday when the Russian capital came under attack from Ukrainian drones, reported AFP.
Russia's defence ministry said that it intercepted about 105 Ukrainian drones.
"Air defence systems destroyed and intercepted 105 Ukrainian drones," of which 35 were heading towards Moscow, the ministry said in a statement.
Also Read | Russia launches one of biggest drone attacks on Ukraine since start of war
Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin on Thursday evening wrote that air defence had intercepted another 11 drones headed for the capital.
Meanwhile, Ukraine's air force reported that overnight Thursday, Russia launched 128 drones at Ukraine, of which 112 were either shot down, disabled electronically, or lost.
According to AFP, the two countries have deployed drones against one another on a near-daily basis since Russia launched its military offensive on Ukraine more than three years ago, but Moscow has rarely been targeted.
