During his recent visit to North Korea and Vietnam, Russian President Vladimir Putin made use of aging Ilyushin Il-96 series aircraft. Despite the fact that Russian airlines have shifted away from these models in favor of newer Western alternatives, Putin remains committed to using them. In 2023, he took a whirlwind day trip in an Il-96 to hold talks with leaders of the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. Two years prior, in 2018, Putin traveled to Finland in an Il-96 for a summit meeting with former US President Donald Trump.
Little is known about the Rossiya special flight squadron, which is responsible for maintaining the Kremlin’s aircraft, including Il-96s, Tu-214 aircraft, and Mi-38 helicopters. According to Russian state media, the unit employs around 2,500 personnel. The use of an obsolete plane may be confusing to outsiders, but Putin may be employing the Soviet-designed aircraft as a way to convey endurance and Russian strength.
Adam Taichi Kraft, a former Defense Intelligence Agency strategist, commented on Putin’s choice of transportation: “It’s the musings of a czar to be able to fly into the sky using whatever equipment you want.”
