‘The Current Events Are Russia’s Internal Affair’ – President Tokayev Reportedly Turn Away Putin’s Plane From Kazakhstan Airspace

A Russian government aircraft reported to be used by President Putin has departed Moscow and disappeared from radar, according to the flight tracking website FlightRadar24.

The Ilyushun Il-96-300PU, registration RA-96022, belonging to Russia’s Special Flight Squadron, departed the Russian capital at 2.16pm local time. Twenty minutes earlier, RA-73025, an Airbus A319 also in service with the presidential squadron, departed Moscow, and landed in St Petersburg.

Numerous private jets also left Moscow this morning, and FlightRadar24 tracked the departure of a plane used by President Lukashenko of Belarus, a Putin ally, for Turkey this morning.

Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s spokesman, denied that he had left the capital for St Petersburg, maintaining that he was working in the Kremlin. The plane stopped transmitting coordinates after 2.40pm local time, west of Tver, heading in the direction of St Petersburg, but also 150km from Lake Valdai, where Putin has a secure forest retreat.

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