Armored and secure: Why did Putin abandon the plane and opt for the train?

He prefers the train to the plane, and it is certainly not for ecological reasons

Armored and secure: Why did Putin abandon the plane and opt for the train?

He prefers the train to the plane, and it is certainly not for ecological reasons. Since November 2021, Vladimir Putin has only used the presidential train, an armored vehicle, for his travels in Russia. According to International Mail, the Russian leader sees privacy and security advantages in this.

According to a Russian opposition media, this Kremlin means of transport also has the advantage of being discreet: it resembles, like two drops of water, the trains used in civilian life. You have to look for the details to see the differences: special antennas for secure communications, and the presence of three locomotives, necessary to be able to pull all the armored wagons.

"It necessarily includes a car for the president with a bedroom and an office for meetings, a car for companions and a car for special communications", specifies the media Dossier.

Another Russian media, Sota, assures that new railways have been installed, and that a Soviet-era station has even been renovated especially for the presidential train. According to the Moscow newspaper, the station now houses ceremonial rooms, meeting rooms and a brand new office. Officially, it only hosts an administrative unit of the Russian Railways Company.

Vladimir Putin's train is reportedly run by a private company owned by Yuri Kovalchuk, a close friend of the president's wealthy, who also runs the presidential palace in Crimea.