The plane carrying Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko, en route to Qatar, had to turn back to Russia after Iran closed its airspace. The government aircraft, traveling from Moscow to Doha, landed in Mineralnye Vody, according to a TASS correspondent.
Chernyshenko was headed to Qatar to participate in the third Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD) summit, scheduled for October 2-3. However, the flight crew announced near the Iranian border over the Caspian Sea that due to the closure of Iran's airspace, the plane would need to change course and refuel in Mineralnye Vody.
Earlier, the Russian Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) had advised Russian airlines to avoid flying to airports in Israel, Iran, and Iraq until further notice, citing security concerns for civilian flights.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
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Based on materials from TASS