The Kremlin recently assured the Russian public that President Putin would not be killed in a plane crash.

This article covers a developing story. Continue to check back with us as we will be adding more information as it becomes available.

Summary

  • Putin flies to North Korea for the first time in 24 years with a trio of Russian government aircraft serving as an escort.
  • A summit with Kim Jong-Un is planned; Putin expresses gratitude for support and promises collaboration on sanctions challenges.
  • A Kremlin spokesperson has expressed confidence in Putin’s flight safety, citing Russian airplanes’ reliability.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is flying to Pyongyang, North Korea, for the first time in 24 years onboard one of three Russian government’s Special Flight Squadron Ilyushin Il-96-300, with two other Il-96 aircraft serving as escort.

When President Putin flew to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) last year, his presidential aircraft was escorted by four Sukhoi Su-35S.

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Everything You Need To Know About Vladimir Putin’s Ilyushin Il-96 Private Jet

A specialized variant of the large Russian-built widebody aircraft.

According to Flightradar24, the aircraft registered as RA-96017, RA-96024, and RA-96025 departed from Yakutsk at 9:34 p.m. local time and should land shortly in Pyongang at 1:15 a.m. local time.

Putin will hold a summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. According to the Associated Press, Putin has expressed gratitude for Kim Jong Un’s support of his actions in Ukraine and promised to collaborate on overcoming the challenges of US and Western sanctions, which, among other repercussions, have significantly weakened both nations’ aerospace capabilities.

The AP quotes Putin as saying both countries would “resolutely oppose” Western efforts “to hinder the establishment of a multipolar world order based on justice, mutual respect for sovereignty, considering each other’s interests.”

Kremlin Confident Of President Putin Flying Safely

Last week, a Kremlin spokesperson addressed concerns over the Russian President flying, saying Vladimir Putin would not die in a plane crash because he only flies Russian airplanes, which, the Kremlin spokesperson assured, have a history of being reliable. The statement followed the recent deaths of the Iranian President when his Bell-212 helicopter crashed in foggy conditions and the Vice President of Malawi in the crash of his Dornier Do228.

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