Putin's 'Flying Kremlin' tops flight tracking charts on arrival for India-Russia summit

New Delhi: Russian President Vladimir Putin's customised Ilyushin Il-96-300PU jet, known as the "Flying Kremlin," topped global flight-tracking charts Thursday as it headed to India for a two-day state visit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Flightradar24 announced the milestone in a post on X, declaring it "our most tracked flight now: one of the Russian government aircraft en route to India." The aviation tracking service noted the surge amid anticipation for Putin-Modi talks in Delhi on defence, trade and bilateral ties. Over 20,000 users followed the flight live, outpacing all others worldwide that day.

Putin landed at New Delhi's Palam military airport, where Modi personally greeted him in a rare red-carpet reception. The leaders shared a car ride to the presidential palace, mirroring protocols from past summits. The Ilyushin, a long-range widebody often accompanied by decoy aircraft with toggling transponders for security, drew aviation enthusiasts and geopolitics watchers alike.

The visit highlights the enduring India-Russia partnership amid global tensions. Discussions are said to be focused on energy deals, military hardware like S-400 systems, and economic corridors bypassing Western sanctions. No U.S. objections were raised publicly, despite scrutiny over Moscow's Ukraine involvement.

Indian officials described the trip as a routine high-level engagement, with Putin skipping G20 summits in recent years due to an International Criminal Court warrant. Flightradar24 data underscored public fascination, with Reddit users sharing spotting screenshots from Indian airspace.