Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic landed in Moscow today, marking his first visit to the Russian capital in years. He was welcomed at Vnukovo Airport by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko with full military honors, including a ceremonial guard. The arrival was broadcast live by Russia’s most-watched news channel, “Russia 24.”
“After many years, I’m back in Moscow,” Vucic wrote on Instagram. “I’m proud of my Serbian people’s anti-fascist struggle and grateful for the immense help we received from the Red Army during the liberation of Serbia. Thank you to our Russian hosts for the grand welcome.”
Vucic is in Moscow to take part in the Victory Day celebrations on Red Square, commemorating the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. His journey wasn’t without complications—his plane, which departed Belgrade around 11 a.m., had to make a temporary landing in Baku due to flight restrictions caused by ongoing military activity. After receiving clearance, the Serbian government jet continued on to Moscow, taking off from Baku around 2:10 p.m. local time.
His visit comes during heightened tensions, as Ukraine launched a drone attack on Moscow for the third consecutive day on Wednesday. The assault forced several Moscow airports to temporarily close, just as Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to arrive for the commemorations.
Similar drone attacks have caused airport shutdowns across several Russian cities in recent days.
Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov confirmed that Russian President Vladimir Putin will hold a bilateral meeting with Vucic on May 9, the day of the Victory Parade.
The event marks 80 years since the Allied victory over fascism in World War II. Despite facing pressure from various sides, Vucic had already stated he would proudly attend the anniversary in Moscow, representing Serbia on this important occasion.
