Russian President Vladimir Putin was photographed lovingly caressing a cockpit during a visit to the Gromov Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky, where he inspected new Russian aircraft. The bizarre images show Putin sitting inside a Sukhoi SJ-100 aircraft, stroking the interior and exterior for an extended period, with one image capturing him pursing his lips while doing so.
Inspection of New Aircraft
During the visit, Putin was accompanied by First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov, Deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Savelyev, Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, Minister of Finance Anton Siluanov, Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov, Sberbank CEO German Gref, Head of the Federal Air Transport Agency Dmitry Yadrov, and CEO of United Aircraft Corporation Vadim Badekha, according to the Kremlin. The delegation reviewed several new aircraft, including the Yakovlev MC-21-310 with a PD-14 engine, the Sukhoi SJ-100 with a PD-8 engine, and the Ilyushin Il-114-300 turboprop.
Speech on Aviation Industry
Before the cockpit stroking, Putin delivered a speech claiming that Russia is one of only four countries capable of maintaining a full production cycle for aircraft engines. He stated, "Today, demand for air travel on domestic and international routes from passengers and economic agents is on the rise. The demand is soaring." He emphasized the need to increase the supply of modern domestically produced aircraft to meet passenger traffic targets, saying, "There is no doubt that, through the joint efforts of the state, aircraft manufacturers, and airlines, we will do everything necessary to ensure that Russian carriers operate mainly domestically produced aircraft."
Safety Concerns
The Sukhoi SJ-100, which Putin inspected, has been involved in five accidents since 2012, resulting in 89 deaths. Putin did not address the lack of international air travel to Russia due to sanctions imposed after the invasion of Ukraine.
