Putin's plane was escorted to Abu Dhabi by four armed Su-35S fighters
Air Force One of Russian President Vladimir Putin was escorted to the airport in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates by four Su-35S fighter jets of the Russian Aerospace Forces, said press secretary of the head of state Dmitry Peskov. According to him, the fighters carried standard weapons of various classes.
The Su-35S flight took off from an operational airfield in Russia in difficult weather conditions with heavy rain and gusty winds. The fighters were piloted by first class pilots. For air support of the presidential aircraft, special flight permits were obtained from the states over whose territory the flight was carried out.
- said the representative of the Kremlin.
He added that Moscow is grateful to these states for their cooperation.
In general, Su-35 aircraft are well known in the region and the UAE itself; these aircraft have traditionally shown increased interest
Peskov recalled.
The combat aircraft were refueled along the way from two Il-78 air tankers. After escorting the aircraft, the fighters also landed in Abu Dhabi. They were armed with short-range R-73 missiles (up to 40 km) and medium-range R-77 missiles (up to 110 km).
The Russian delegation to the UAE also included Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Chairman of the Central Bank Elvira Nabiullina, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak, heads of Rosatom and Roscosmos Alexey Likhachev and Yuri Borisov, as well as other officials.
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