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Russian President Vladimir Putin is shown pictures of the converted Tupolev before the test flight: "New technology, super technology"
Photo: SPUTNIK / REUTERS
While the opposition in the country is in turmoil and accusations of murder are being made internationally, the as yet unexplained death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny apparently hardly challenges the Russian president.
Kremlin chief Vladimir Putin instead examined a new type of strategic nuclear bomber in the Russian city of Kazan.
And, according to Russian agency reports, also took part in a test flight lasting about 30 minutes in the machine.
According to Tass, the bomber is a modernized Tupolev TU-160M, known to NATO under the code name “Blackjack”.
The long-range bomber has a crew of four and can carry twelve cruise missiles or twelve short-range nuclear missiles.
Putin speaks of “super technology”
After its test flight, the Kremlin chief himself assessed the bomber as highly modern and reliable.
"We are receiving new technology, super technology," said Putin.
He ordered that the bomber should be taken over by the armed forces.
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The modernized Tupolev TU-160M: Known to NATO as the “Blackjack”.
Photo: SPUTNIK / REUTERS
Putin made the decision to fly the day before during a visit to the aircraft factory, said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.
He didn't want to reveal the route in advance.
This is a military secret.
On Wednesday, Putin looked at the Tupolev bomber in the factory hall in Kazan and also sat in the cabin.
With the flight, Putin is likely to want to present himself to the Russians as a strong commander in chief against the backdrop of his ongoing war of aggression in Ukraine.
Unlike Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Putin, who sent 300,000 men to the front during a partial mobilization, has avoided going there himself since the start of the war.
The image of the strong man is also expected to give him a record result in the presidential election in mid-March.
Putin wants to be elected to office for the fifth time.
The incumbent is expected to win the presidential election.
Putin has led Russia as president or prime minister for more than 20 years.
There is no real opposition in the election.
Much of the opposition is in prison or in exile; last week, one of the most prominent critics, Navalny, died in custody.
Always a production
It is also not Putin's first flight in a military aircraft.
He first sat in March 2000 as a co-pilot in a Su-27 fighter plane.
Even then - shortly before his first presidential election - he presented himself as a tough guy against the backdrop of the ongoing second Chechen war.
Later he sat in other fighter jets, including an old TU-160.
The Tupolev TU-160M is the modernized variant of the Soviet supersonic aircraft TU-160.
In 2018, Russia resumed production of the strategic bomber, which is said to be able to fire both conventional and nuclear-armed cruise missiles as well as hypersonic missiles.
mrc/dpa/Reuters