Fleet of Russian aircraft reaches Alaska ahead of Trump-Putin talks on Ukraine
A fleet of Russian aircraft has been tracked arriving in Alaska ahead of talks between US President Donald Trump and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin.
The high-stakes talks at the US military facility Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, just outside Anchorage, planned for August 15, 2025, will center on the war in Ukraine and a possible ceasefire in the fighting.
Travelling to Alaska along with President Putin are inner circle loyalists including the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Foreign Policy Advisor Yuri Ushakov and Defense Minister Andrei Belousov.
Significantly, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky will not be present at the discussions despite his country’s part in the three-year conflict.
2017 G-20 Hamburg (Russian Government)Several Russian aircraft, considered to be apart of the Presidential fleet and operated by the Special Air Squadron, were recorded landing in Alaska on August 14, 2025, after departing Moscow Vnukovo International Airport (VKO).
According to Flightradar24, an Ilyushin Il-96-300, registered RA-96023, left Moscow at 07:50 local time and was scheduled to arrive at Anchorage Elmendorf Air Force Base (EDF), but instead appeared to land at Anchorage Ted Stevens International Airport (ANC).
A second Ilyushin Il-96-300, registered RA-96019, left Russia at shortly before 16:30, and landed at ANC, while a third, registered RA-96018, left Moscow at 17:28.
After spending a short time in Alaksa, RA-96019 and RA-96023 then flew a four-hour flight onto Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky Airport (PKC) in Russia, while RA-96018 remained at ANC.
The Russian delegation for the meeting between the Russian and US presidents in Anchorage is now in US airspace. https://t.co/fSAg1eS1t8 pic.twitter.com/ublJ7JOit9— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) August 14, 2025 A Bombardier Global Express XRS, registered RA-73584, operated by Jetica, also flew from Moscow to Anchorage on August 14, 2025.
Ukraine has said that it cannot accept any deal between President Trump and President Putin that includes the ceding of territory.
There are concerns among European leaders and President Zelensky that the meeting will result in false promises and land swaps that they simply can not support.
viper-zero / Shutterstock.comPresident Trump has said he will end the meeting very quickly if he feels discussions with the Russian president are not heading in the right direction.
The US has described the discussions as a “listening exercise,” rather than a situation designed to produce commitments.
President Trump has assured President Zelensky that he will phone him as soon as talks end and has expressed hopes to bring the Ukranian leader to the next talks with President Putin.
The meeting between President Trump and his Russian counterpart will take place at 11:00, local time.
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A fleet of Russian aircraft has been tracked arriving in Alaska ahead of talks between US President Donald…
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