Putin’s ‘Flying Kremlin’ Sparks Global Tracking Frenzy for India Trip

The aircraft carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin became the most-tracked flight globally as it journeyed towards New Delhi for a crucial meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Flight Radar 24, a popular flight tracking service, witnessed an unprecedented surge in user interest, highlighting the massive online curiosity surrounding the presidential jet. The platform announced on X (formerly Twitter) that one of the Russian government aircraft en route to India had become their most tracked flight. President Putin and Prime Minister Modi were scheduled for a two-day summit in the Indian capital. Upon arrival, Putin was personally greeted by Modi at the airport. Their extensive discussions were anticipated to cover critical areas such as defense cooperation, bilateral trade, and long-term strategic planning between the two nations. Prior to landing, observers noted peculiar activity involving two Russian jets; one would intermittently switch off its transponder while the other remained active. This pattern, which persisted for a period, involved the transponder, a vital device for transmitting flight data to air traffic control. For those aware of President Putin’s stringent security protocols, the intense global focus was predictable. His overseas travels are typically accompanied by his bulletproof Aurus Senat limousine and the presidential aircraft, famously dubbed the ‘Flying Kremlin’. This formidable jet, an Ilyushin IL-96-300PU, is a highly customized variant of the IL-96-300, a long-haul airliner developed by the Ilyushin Design Bureau in the late 1980s. Its initial flight occurred in September 1988, with official service commencing in the early 1990s. The state-modified version has since become an iconic symbol of Russian presidential transportation. Today’s extraordinary tracking activity further cemented the ‘Flying Kremlin’s’ status as a focal point of global attention, drawing immense interest even before it reached Indian airspace.