Former Serbian minister Aleksandar Vulin has confirmed that he was on the Air Serbia aircraft that was returned to Belgrade during a flight to Moscow. Vulin stated that he was asleep during the flight and only learned that the plane had returned to Serbia after waking up.
According to him, after landing, he disembarked with the other passengers and underwent security checks again. "I was sleeping on the plane, I wake up and they tell me we are in Belgrade, I see the police have gathered, special forces...", Vulin recounted. He added that after the return, he addressed the police officers with the words: "Colleagues, have you come for me?"
Vulin insisted that nothing illegal was found on him. "Absolutely nothing illegal was found on me because there was nothing that could have been", he stated, adding that he hopes to resume the journey soon. He told Informer that he was not travelling to Russia for tourism, but officially, for talks on extending the gas arrangement between Serbia and Russia. "I am going there to fight to have our gas arrangement extended", Vulin said, who is the chairman of the Supervisory Board of Srbijagas and for years one of the most prominent pro-Russian politicians in Serbia.
Flight JU134 took off on Tuesday at 18:48 from Nikola Tesla airport in Belgrade towards Moscow. The Airbus A320 had already reached southern Lithuania, near the border with Belarus, when it changed direction and headed back towards Serbia. It landed in Belgrade around 22:00, after more than three hours of flight. A recording of radio communication from the plane appeared on social media in which the captain explains to passengers that they had to return for security reasons. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the captain speaking, for security reasons we had to return to Belgrade airport. We further ask you to follow the instructions of the crew on the aircraft", can be heard on the recording, which also captured radio communications with air traffic control with instructions to the pilots after the return to Belgrade.
Air Serbia confirmed that the aircraft was returned due to the need for additional security checks related to one passenger, but did not disclose his identity. "In accordance with the instructions received and all applicable security regulations, the decision was made to return the aircraft to Belgrade so that all necessary procedures could be carried out fully", the company stated. It emphasised that airport security services, and not the aircraft crew, are responsible for checking passengers and luggage, and stated: "The Air Serbia crew acted fully in accordance with established procedures and the highest security standards". Air Serbia did not confirm that Vulin had bypassed security control nor did it explain exactly what failure led to the return of the aircraft.
According to earlier unofficial information from the portal Nova.rs, the aircraft also carried the director of Srbijagas Dušan Bajatović and the president of the Serbian People's Party Nenad Popović. Vulin was one of the closest associates of Aleksandar Vučić, Popović a long-time coalition partner, and Bajatović an influential official of the Socialist Party of Serbia, which participated in Vučić's government. The portal Nova.rs claims that Vulin boarded the aircraft without the prescribed security check and that someone allegedly helped him bypass the usual procedure. According to that information, the director of corporate security at Belgrade airport Milan Kuč subsequently reviewed surveillance camera footage and noticed that security procedures had not been respected. Kuč, who was previously a member of the elite military unit Kobra, allegedly then ordered the return of the aircraft to Belgrade. Telegraf.rs reports that Vulin's luggage allegedly did not pass the counter-terrorism check.
According to reports by the portal 021.rs, at one point the flight was being tracked by more than 12,000 people on the platform Flightradar24. Flightradar24 published: "Currently most followed flight: Air Serbia JU134 from Belgrade to Moscow returns to Belgrade after turning over Lithuania. Local media report that the flight is connected to the current political situation, but we have no confirmation yet". The flight took place immediately after the electoral defeat of Aleksandar Vučić and his political option. The president of the Democratic Party Srđan Milivojević asked on the social network X: "And who is it that is fleeing to Moscow tonight on the 18:30 flight?"
The Montenegrin portal ETV reported that Vulin and Popović had booked tickets for that flight and were travelling to Moscow for consultations. The portal 021.rs reported that Bajatović was to talk with representatives of the Russian Gazprom and was to return to Serbia on Friday. Vulin was to discuss the business of Srbijagas, whose Supervisory Board he has chaired since May 2025. Popović allegedly planned talks connected to the Russian-Serbian intergovernmental committee for economic cooperation.
Air Serbia announced that passengers would be informed about the continuation of the journey after the completion of all necessary checks and obtaining approvals. Nova.rs reports that after the return, a detailed inspection of the aircraft was scheduled, as well as the continuation of the flight to Moscow with a different crew. It has not been officially confirmed whether the journey was resumed. It has only been officially confirmed that the aircraft was returned for an additional security check of one passenger.
