“Plane of the Apocalypse”: What is this “flying bunker” flying at the Russian military parade on May 9?

This Monday, May 9, the Russian military will hold an annual parade in Moscow to commemorate the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. This is an opportunity for Vladimir Putin to show off one of his jewels, his “Apocalypse Flight”. Military Arsenal.

As its name implies, this device is intended to take the Russian president to a safe place in the event of a nuclear attack. The Russian Defense Ministry has confirmed that it will fly over Moscow’s Red Square on Monday.

Built from the Soviet Ilyochin II-80 model used in civilian life, this real “flying bunker” can withstand the electromagnetic pulses generated during a nuclear explosion.

At 59 meters long and weighing 208 tons, it has no special armor and portal. Its flat nose “includes satellite communications and radio connections”, describes the special site Future science.

Flying Kremlin

The plane did not carry any weapons, but was surrounded by two, sometimes three Russian warplanes, MIG-29s as it flew.

Also known as the “Flying Kremlin”, the device has been in the public eye since Monday, 2010.

Despite Russia’s repeated branding of the nuclear threat, the appearance of this “apocalypse plane” during a military parade on May 9 will be a new warning sent to the West.

Russia is not the only country with such equipment. In the United States, the Boeing E-4B NOAC is responsible for welcoming the US President in the event of a nuclear war. It was nicknamed the “Doomsday Flight”, the Last Judgment Flight.