Key Highlights
- The Russian president is one of the most heavily-guarded world leaders.
- File image/APWith being at the helm in Russia for more than 25 years, it won’t be hard to believe that Vladimir Putin may have picked up a few enemies along the way.
- And it is for this very reason that the Russian president is one of the world’s most heavily guarded leaders. In fact, the Russian strongman is known for the extreme lengths he takes to ensure his travels are secure, with his coterie of bodyguards, a reported ‘poop suitcase’ and his personal car dubbed as a ‘fortress on wheels’. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS ADNotably, this sophisticated “security web”, as some call it, will be in the spotlight when Putin travels to India on December 4, his first visit since the beginning of the Ukraine war. More from Explainers From Soviet collapse to superpower, Putin’s quest to restore Russia’s might Trade, defence deals and more...
- Why all eyes are on Putin’s visit to IndiaFor more on Putin in India, click hereThe ‘flying Kremlin’, diversionary planes and more…When Putin flies to India, he won’t be doing it in any regular jet, but his modified Il-96-300PU aircraft — Russia’s answer to Air Force One.
- Also known as the ‘Flying Kremlin’, the plane is the perfect mix of functionality and comfort; it blends state-of-the-art communications with palatial luxury. Putin’s aircraft is also rumoured to feature electronic countermeasures to jam enemy radar and missile systems, infrared decoys to evade heat-seeking missiles, and reinforced armour to withstand potential threats. Russian President Vladimir Putin boards his presidential plane from Alaska.
