A Russian government Ilyushin Il-96 landed at Cologne/Bonn airport on Wednesday morning after flying from Moscow-Vnukovo on a long detour that avoided Polish and Baltic airspace. The aircraft, registered RA-96018, arrived at about 09:36 to 09:43 local time, according to German and aviation reports. The flight stood out because Russian state aircraft are rarely seen in EU airspace under current restrictions.
The aircraft routed north over the Baltic and then into Germany, a path consistent with sanctions-related overflight limits on Russian state flights. The reason for the trip was not officially confirmed, but the most likely explanation was a mission to collect personnel from the Russian consulate in Bonn. Cologne/Bonn airport and German federal police did not publicly confirm operational details, leaving the purpose of the flight officially unclear.