Fico eyes potential travel to Moscow on May 9th
Article:
Gotta find a new way to Russia, pals, 'cause the Baltic countries ain't playing ball, the office of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico announced. Reuters reported that the Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—have blocked his plane's access to their airspace, dashin' his plans to fly to Moscow for the Victory Day celebrations.
The ol' boy wants to hang with the Russians on May 9 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. But it looks like his direct flight to Moscow from his hometown of Bratislava is no longer an option, thanks to the airspace closures.
Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia shut down their airspace to the Slovak Prime Minister's plane on May 7, according to multiple reports.
A southern detour seems to be on the cards now, as the Prime Minister is looking at flying over Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and then into Russia. This roundabout trip will take approximately five hours—roughly double the usual direct flight time of about two and a half hours.
The Baltic states closed their airspace as a political statement against Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, refusing entry to leaders attending the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow. This abrupt move forced the Prime Minister's delegation, which included several members of the Slovak parliament, to alter their plans and suffer potential delays.
Despite the extended journey, the Prime Minister eventually made it to Moscow, but he didn't join Russian President Putin during the parade. So, while their original route is nixed, it seems they've managed to make it work with a bit of creative re-routing.
[1] https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/baltic-states-close-airspace-slovak-prime-minister-ficos-plane-moscow-2025-05-07/[2] https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56447356[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/5/8/baltic-states-block-slovak-prime-minister-from-flying-over-their-airspace-to-moscow[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/world/europe/slovakia-russia-fico-airspace.html
[1] Despite the announcement from Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico that he would need to find a new way to Russia due to the Baltic countries blocking his airspace, [2] his southeastern detour, which includes Hungary, Romania, the Black Sea, Georgia, and a final leg into Russia, was reportedly successful after initial reports of potential delays. [3] The closure of the airspace was a political statement against Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, refusing entry to leaders attending the May 9 Victory Day parade in Moscow. [4] Fico's plans to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory in Moscow were affected, but his delegation, which included several members of the Slovak parliament, managed to find an alternative route. [5] The news of the closure and Fico's revised travel plans were covered by various media outlets, including Reuters, BBC, Al Jazeera, and The New York Times.
