Russian plane is headed to US airspace: what is its direction and what kind of aircraft is it?
A global flight tracker that shows live air traffic from around the world has indicated that a plane that took off from Moscow is headed to JFK Airport.
According to global flight tracker Flightradar24.com, a Russia Special Flight Squadron aircraft that took off from Moscow is currently on its way to JFK Airport in New York.
The plane, also known as RSD738, took off at 9 a.m. Moscow time, and is estimated to arrive at 11:46 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 26, per Flightradar24.
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The mysterious Russia special flight squadron
Little is known about the Russia special flight squadron, also known as the 235th separate aviation detachment, that is responsible for the Kremlin’s aircraft, including the Il-96s, Tu-214 airplanes and Mi-38 helicopters. Russian state media reports that 2,500 people work in the unit.
In March 2022, the United States announced it would block Russian aircraft from using all domestic airspace as a response to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s war against Ukraine. However, Russia has been granted special permission since the ban for flights to shuttle government personnel back to Russia.
Last year, another plane in the Russian government’s Il-96 fleet was tracked stopping at airports in Washington and New York to retrieve Russian diplomats who the Kremlin said had been ordered to leave the United States.
This latest plane that is headed to New York could also be on its way to pick up government-related personnel such as staff members of the Russian embassy or Russian United Nation diplomats.