Posted on 03/17/2022 7:31:25 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
A large fleet of VIP transport aircraft belonging to the Russian Special Flight Detachment “Rossiya” took off from Moscow Vnukovo Airport (VKO) in the early hours of March 17, 2022.
The detachment is tasked with transporting Russian government officials. According to Planespotters data, it operates 29 aircraft, most of which are Russian-made Tupolev Tu-214, Ilyushin Il-96 and Sukhoi Superjet 100.
At least 10 of these aircraft have been observed taking off from VKO starting at 8:48 AM MSK (5:48 GMT) and heading Eastwards on various flight paths.
The convoy was first noticed by Twitter user Manu Gomez, and independently confirmed by AeroTime with the use of flight tracking services Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange.
At approximately 9:14 AM MSK one of the airplanes, a communications relay aircraft Tu-214SR, registered RA-64516, entered a holding pattern south of Tumen.
It must be noted that a greater number of Russian governmental aircraft may be in the air, as it is currently unknown how many Special Detachment “Rossiya” aircraft are equipped with ADS-B transponders, and how many of them have not kept their transponders on.
UPDATE 03-17-2022, 13:30 (UTC +2): All the aircraft from the convoy have landed in various Russian cities since this article went to print. The first aircraft to take off, Tupolev Tu-214PU (reg. RA-64532), landed at 10:04 AM GMT in Novosibirsk (OVB), before taking off again 22 minutes later and heading back in the direction of Moscow
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(Excerpt) Read more at aerotime.aero ...
Dispersing the leadership? Hmmmmm.
Most curious ..
Getting them out of the way of a nuke response?
Is this normal? Easter is coming soon, are they going home to celebrate?
It may be a practice run. In view of how their system has operated in Ukraine, Putin may want to make sure that the leadership preservation plan actually works.
Head of the guards unit formerly in charge of Kremlin security was arrested today. Some of his units were supposedly almost completely wiped out in Ukraine.
Novosibirsk would be near the top of any targeting list, too.
Any thoughts why this is happening?
Summit with China? Biden ‘speaking Xi’ tomorrow, Russia pre-empting with a division of the world spoils?
Getting supplies/military aid from the Chicoms
Rossiya - Special Flight Detachment
Russian Federation
https://onespotter.com/airline/7144/Rossiya%20-%20Special%20Flight%20Detachment
Has photos, numbers, descriptions of planes arriving at various airports across Russia.
Ten VIP transports are not the best pick for that kind of task.
Not a clue.
Sounds like a coup or a huge purge us in progress.
Couldn’t happen to a more deserving psychopath
“Most curious ..”
Most.
“Getting supplies/military aid from the Chicoms.”
Wrong kind of aircraft.
My guess is that Putin has invited many high-ranking government officials to a meeting, and they have no choice about attending. Probably going to arrest and prosecute them for embezzling money from the government; just like he has done.
I am thinking purge since Mr. Putin is so paranoid.
Someone should poison him with polonium. He has that coming.
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