Russian government aircraft flies over Arctic toward Alaska
The Il-96 government aircraft of the Special Flight Unit "Russia," flight RSD 381, departed from the Russian Vnukovo airport near Moscow at 7:50 a.m. and is headed to Anchorage, Alaska, where it is scheduled to land in about six hours, at 6:43 a.m. on Friday local time and 5:43 p.m. on Thursday Kyiv time.
According to the Flightradar service, the aircraft is currently flying along the Russian coast of the Arctic Ocean. It is not accompanied by any other aircraft identified by the service.
It is currently unknown who is on board the aircraft, and whether Vladimir Putin, in particular, is flying on it.
At the same time, Russian media, citing sources, report that the Russian delegation that will take part in the meeting between Vladimir Putin and US President Donald Trump in Anchorage on Friday will include Putin's special representative for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries, Kirill Dmitriev.
As reported, Trump's meeting with Putin is scheduled for August 15 in Alaska, at the Elmendorf-Richardson military base in Anchorage. The US President intends to focus on the issue of ending the war in Ukraine at the meeting, other topics are not a priority.
The leaders of 26 member states of the European Union approved a joint statement in support of Ukraine on the eve of the meeting between Trump and Putin in Alaska. Only Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban did not sign the document.
