Politics aside, this is without a doubt the most interesting plane to enter United States airspace today…
In this post:
Russian government jet flies from Moscow to Anchorage
Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin are expected to have a meeting in Anchorage, Alaska, tomorrow (Friday, August 15, 2025). While we’ll see what comes of this — I hope there’s an end to the Ukraine war, and the senseless deaths we’re seeing — there’s an interesting aviation angle, in the meantime.
As I publish this post, a Russian-built Ilyushin Il-96-300, belonging to the Russian government’s fleet, is about to land in the United States. Specifically, this flight is being operated with the flight number RSD381, and it’s being operated by a roughly nine-year-old plane with the registration code RA-96023.
The aircraft took off from Moscow (VKO) at 7:50AM local time this morning, and is expected to land at Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF) at around 6:40AM local time, after a flight time of around 10 hours. As you’d expect, the aircraft was over Russian airspace for most of the journey, flying over land and then over the East Siberian Sea, prior to crossing the Bering Sea and then entering United States airspace.
Of course ordinarily, Russian registered aircraft couldn’t use United States airspace. However, there are special exceptions for this flight.
It hasn’t officially been revealed whether Putin is on this flight or not, though we should find out soon. Perhaps he is onboard, because he probably wants to be well rested ahead of the meeting. Or maybe he’s not onboard, and isn’t comfortable spending a night in the United States, and just plans to go straight from his plane to the meeting. Either way, I imagine there could be several Russian jets headed to Anchorage.
Ilyushin Il-96-300s fly to the US with some frequency
While this is certainly the most high profile Russian flight to land in the United States in quite some time, the Russian government’s fleet of Ilyushin Il-96-300s actually make it to the country with some frequency. Every several months, we see one of these planes operate a triangle route from Moscow to New York to Washington and back to Moscow.
These special flights are possible in order to “cycle” Russian diplomats, since they can only be in the United States for so long. Perhaps an even more interesting flight was in March 2022, when a Russian government jet flew from St. Petersburg to Washington. That flight had a more exciting backstory, as its purpose was to pick up 12 expelled Russian intelligence operatives from the Russian Mission, who were accused of espionage.
As an avgeek, I can’t help but be fascinated by these flights. While I can’t personally vouch for how accurate this is, below is a video about what one of these government jets that’s frequently flown by Putin is actually like.
Bottom line
A Russian government Ilyushin Il-96-300 is currently enroute from Moscow to Anchorage, and will be landing shortly. This plane may very well have Putin onboard, ahead of his meeting with Trump tomorrow. Politics aside, as an aviation geek, I find these Ilyushin planes to be very cool.
What do you make of this Moscow to Anchorage flight?
(Featured image courtesy of Dmitry Terekhov)
I had an opportunity to fly on a Cubana Il-96 and in Cubana's configuration is a remarkably comfortable aircraft. A little slow off the runway but I was rather impressed. Cubana's inflight service and catering was different but not bad
Air miles Moscow to Washington DC : 4,867
Air miles Moscow to Anchorage: 4,375
Too bad Trump has to travel 3,400 miles to meet a guy who could make it to the White House in only an hour more of flight time.
If Putin flew over Europe, they might shoot him down.
Is this the first time Putin sets foot on US territory? Isn't he eligible to be arrested then, given the warrants against him? The world's two biggest gangsters are he and Trump.
"Isn't he eligible to be arrested then, given the warrants against him?"
The US isn't a signatory to the treaty recognizing the ICC.
His eighth trip to the US. You have to come here to get to the UN General Assembly, remember. His last trip was 2015. He met with Obama, who criticized him for invading Ukraine and supporting Assad in Syria.
Putin is a bonafide gangster. Trump is barely a mid-level grifter.
Can you book a flight on it with points? If not then please stick to practical travel related topics.
Why would you click on a story you aren’t interested in? Just skip over it in the future. Not every blog post will be what YOU want to read.
I was an A340 when the 747 wasn’t cool!
Awesome looking airplane be it thirsty and solid.
This apparently was the plane caught trafficking cocaine out of Argentina a year or so ago.
Interesting that it "diverted" from EDF to ANC just before landing. Normally when a government VIP plane lands in ANC rather than EDF, it is parked on the south side of the airfield, very close to the perimeter (somewhat near Lynden Air Cargo on the map).
Today's first arrival instead parked in an area typically used by international cargo flights that are in transit, but not loading/unloading much. Anyone who airside in the terminal...
Interesting that it "diverted" from EDF to ANC just before landing. Normally when a government VIP plane lands in ANC rather than EDF, it is parked on the south side of the airfield, very close to the perimeter (somewhat near Lynden Air Cargo on the map).
Today's first arrival instead parked in an area typically used by international cargo flights that are in transit, but not loading/unloading much. Anyone who airside in the terminal is getting a once in a lifetime direct view at the moment.
As mentioned earlier, it's the first of a few inbound arrivals. FR24 shows two more in the air, RSD171 and RSD308. What a crazy week.
Well thank God SOMEBODY in this godforsaken admin had the good sense at the last minute not to let a Russian jet probably loaded with SIGINT equipment land at a major USAF base.
"Sanction every Russian bank and every international bank that does business with Russian banks, the Russian government, or Russian oligarchs. We know who, and they'll cry uncle."
So the base goes on EMCON / Emissions Control.
Hope we see an end to all American involvement in this Ukraine war, financial or otherwise. This is not America's problem......Ukraine has already lost territory from over a decade ago and they need to face the fact that they aren't getting it back anytime soon. If the Europeans care so much, let them deal with this.
Oh look a Putin whor*.
For every onlineblowj*b to Vlad he gets 500 points. 2000 points get you a free flight (out of a window).
Sanction every Russian bank and every international bank that does business with Russian banks, the Russian government, or Russian oligarchs. We know who, and they'll cry uncle.
But that'll never happen because the party of Reagan elected a Russian puppet.
"Sanction every Russian bank and every international bank that does business with Russian banks, the Russian government, or Russian oligarchs. We know who, and they'll cry uncle."
Trump tried to restrict proxy trading of Russian oil by tariffing India but that was looked down on by the left.
@Jeff
You realize WE pay the tariff on Indian goods, not India, right? Please tell me you at least understand that much. And if you get that, you can answer your own question as to WHY the left rightfully said that was a dumb idea.
You’re white trash.
The problem is that Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize. Rubio and Bessent just pointed out to him that the Committee that grants the award is appointed by the Norwegian parliament. Same people who are funding NATO and Ukraine. Putin, meanwhile, has no plans to bring back the Lenin Peace Prize.
They're afraid, however, to tell Trump that three of the five Peace Prize committee members are women.
Elmendorf AFB ceased to exist in 2010, when it became part of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.
Gross. Shoot it down!
Someone needs a lay
Speaking of: I am currently sitting in J on an SU A350 and you have to try it Lucky. Hard product aside (AI & TK have it) the soft product is nothing short of surreal. Genuinely, Lanson poured at your seat as a PDB, excellent amenities, amazing crew, I think it would sneak into your top 5 business class products.
Anyhoo, I know it’s not really the time to visit Russia per se, but hoping you review it if the situation improves.
Why are you in Russia? Disgusting.
Russians are an amazing people!
Yay! Another Surrender Summit!
Trump knows who he works for.
"Yay! Another Surrender Summit!"
Its obvious that Ukraine is slowly losing the war and the question needs to be asked why we need to keep funding a lost cause. While Ukraine has a right to decide if it accepts the terms of any deal, as Americans we have a right to determine if we fund this exercise in futility.
@Jeff
First, there's a huge difference between Russia successfully occupying Donbas and Russia actually taking over Ukraine. Russia's manpower issues are so acute that they're having to coerce civilians into signing contract papers, plus the whole North Koreans bit, while importing Indian laborers to shore up their domestic industries.
Second, the vast majority of the aid we've given to Ukraine is older mothballed vehicles and weapons near the end of their shelf life. Most...
@Jeff
First, there's a huge difference between Russia successfully occupying Donbas and Russia actually taking over Ukraine. Russia's manpower issues are so acute that they're having to coerce civilians into signing contract papers, plus the whole North Koreans bit, while importing Indian laborers to shore up their domestic industries.
Second, the vast majority of the aid we've given to Ukraine is older mothballed vehicles and weapons near the end of their shelf life. Most of the actual cash given to Ukraine, which to be clear has been a miniscule portion of the aid, has come from seized Russian assets not the American taxpayer. Many of the billions of dollars of Ukraine aid went into OUR OWN DOMESTIC COMPANIES to expand production of munitions. IE, we invested in our own industry and workers to make stuff to sell and enlarge our stockpiles for future conflicts. All that was done under Biden. Trump is just rolling over and setting the stage for Putin to grab Narva 5 years down the road.
We could do far more against Russia just economically, but at this point Trump is more likely to just hand him Alaska and STILL let him keep Crimea.
"First, there's a huge difference between Russia successfully occupying Donbas and Russia actually taking over Ukraine."
You don't need to take the entire control over if you hollow out its population or its fighting age males. You do realize that demographic decline exists, right?
"Many of the billions of dollars of Ukraine aid went into OUR OWN DOMESTIC COMPANIES to expand production of munitions. IE, we invested in our own industry and workers to...
"First, there's a huge difference between Russia successfully occupying Donbas and Russia actually taking over Ukraine."
You don't need to take the entire control over if you hollow out its population or its fighting age males. You do realize that demographic decline exists, right?
"Many of the billions of dollars of Ukraine aid went into OUR OWN DOMESTIC COMPANIES to expand production of munitions. IE, we invested in our own industry and workers to make stuff to sell and enlarge our stockpiles for future conflicts."
So we funded the military industrial complex that the left is (or was) so critical about?
"Trump is just rolling over and setting the stage for Putin to grab Narva 5 years down the road."
A Gallup poll indicated Ukrainians are willing to accept a negotiated peace with territory lines being what they are at on the current battlefield. Victory for Ukraine is impossible and I don't think Ukrainians are clamoring to be like the Japanese citizens prior to that countries surrender in WWII (they trained children and women to run at tanks with explosives).
Unless Ukraine is willing to commit to that level of total war, this conflict is endless.
"We could do far more against Russia just economically, but at this point Trump is more likely to just hand him Alaska and STILL let him keep Crimea."
They why did the media and the left criticize Trumps tariffs on India for participating in a scheme to buy restricted Russian oil?
>You don't need to take the entire control over if you hollow out its population or its fighting age males. You do realize that demographic decline exists, right?
You realize Russia is in an even worse demographic hole than Ukraine is, and unlike Russia Ukraine is intentionally drafting older people to fight rather than young men that actually have long productive futures ahead of them?
>So we funded the military industrial complex that the...
>You don't need to take the entire control over if you hollow out its population or its fighting age males. You do realize that demographic decline exists, right?
You realize Russia is in an even worse demographic hole than Ukraine is, and unlike Russia Ukraine is intentionally drafting older people to fight rather than young men that actually have long productive futures ahead of them?
>So we funded the military industrial complex that the left is (or was) so critical about?
Big difference between being critical of misguided nationbuilding and actually keeping the military capable of dissuading actors like China or Russia from invading our smaller partners.
>A Gallup poll indicated Ukrainians are willing to accept a negotiated peace with territory lines being what they are at on the current battlefield.
Then post it. If you're looking at the one I'm looking at, you're being intentionally misleading because the poll question was "are you open to a negotiated peace with territorial concessions". And even then, I'll be you that answer changes if there's no real guarantee that they'll be protected from a future Russian invasion. They know a Budapest Memorandum 2.0 isn't worth the paper it'd be written on.
>Unless Ukraine is willing to commit to that level of total war, this conflict is endless.
The US has plenty of economic levers it can pull for one, and for two additional weapons (especially artillery and artillery ammunition) would essentially freeze the frontline.
>They why did the media and the left criticize Trumps tariffs on India for participating in a scheme to buy restricted Russian oil?
I am begging you, google "who pays a tariff". Tariffing India doesn't hurt India, it hurts US. There's much better ways to get Indian compliance in this than charging US consumers extra for buying Indian-made goods.
"I imagine there could be several Russian jets headed to Anchorage."
Another Il-96 departed VKO about an hour ago at time of writing. RSD171 is showing as en route to ANC rather than EDF arriving around 3pm Anchorage time.