While the world’s cameras were fixed on the red carpet at New Delhi’s Palam Air Force Station today, a different kind of audience was watching the arrival of Russian President Vladimir Putin from thousands of miles away—on their screens.

As the Russian leader touched down for a crucial two-day summit with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, thousands of aviation enthusiasts were locked into flight tracking apps, playing a high-stakes game of “spot the president” involving decoy planes, special call signs, and the massive Ilyushin Il-96-300PU.

The “RSD” Signature

For the online community of flight trackers, the hunt began hours before touchdown. Unlike standard commercial flights, the Russian presidential fleet operates under the Rossiya — Special Flight Squadron.

Trackers on platforms like Flightradar24 and ADS-B Exchange were scanning specifically for the ICAO airline code “RSD” (State Transport Company Rossiya).

• The Target: Flight RSD221, operated by the aircraft registration RA-96022.
• The Decoy? Simultaneously, another government aircraft, RA-96024 (Flight RSD871), was also active, a classic security tactic known as “shell gaming” where multiple identical planes fly similar routes to confuse potential threats about which one carries the leader.

The “Flying Kremlin”

The aircraft at the center of this digital chase is no ordinary jet. The Il-96-300PU (PU stands for Punkt Upravleniya, or “Command Point”) is a flying fortress.

• Capabilities: Equipped with an advanced communication system that allows Putin to command nuclear forces from the air, it features anti-missile lasers and radar-jamming coating.
• Luxury: Inside, the jet is rumored to have gold-plated interiors, a gym, and a conference room, mirroring the opulence of the Kremlin itself.

A Cat-and-Mouse Game

Tracking Putin is rarely straightforward. In the past, his aircraft has been known to turn off its transponders (going “dark”) when entering hostile or sensitive airspace, vanishing from public apps.

However, for this trip to India—a friendly nation—the flight path was surprisingly visible. Enthusiasts tracked the quad-engine jet as it skirted conflict zones, taking a carefully planned route to avoid airspace over Ukraine and other NATO-aligned territories, looping through neutral corridors to reach South Asia safely.

Why This Flight Matters

This specific journey is significant. It marks one of Putin’s rare ventures outside the “friendly” post-Soviet sphere since 2022.

• 2023 Context: In a previous rare trip to the UAE and Saudi Arabia, trackers spotted his plane being escorted by four Su-35S fighter jets carrying air-to-air missiles, a visual spectacle that went viral on social media.
• 2025 Context: Today’s unescorted but heavily monitored arrival in Delhi signals confidence in the security corridor provided by India, but the digital eyes of the world—from intelligence agencies to teenage hobbyists—remained glued to the screen until the moment the wheels hit the tarmac.