He was accompanied by Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, Rostec CEO Sergey Chemezov, United Aircraft Corporation CEO Yury Slyusar, and the Head of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov.
At the airfield, Putin presented awards to military units of the Aerospace Forces and gifted the command a copy of the icon «The Savior Not Made by Hands». Orthodox believers pray before this icon for help in overcoming life's difficulties.
Russian pilots have indeed been facing tough times lately. In the last week alone, Russian aviation has lost at least 7 military aircraft. The Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) have eliminated several types of Russian military fighters:
- On February 17, the AFU command reported the elimination of three Russian aircraft — two Su-34 fighters and one Su-35 fighter.
- The Air Force of the AFU mentioned a downed Su-34 aircraft in their summary for February 18.
- On February 19, the Commander of the Air Forces of the AFU, Nikolai Oleshchuk, reported that Ukrainian defenders had shot down a Su-34 fighter-bomber and a Su-35S fighter in the eastern direction.
- On the morning of February 21, Ukrainian media reported that a Su-34 bomber was shot down again. The information was later confirmed by the AFU.
It can be concluded that the Russian dictator's visit to Chkalovsky airfield today was not a coincidence. Perhaps, this visit is part of an informational strategy to distract from the problems at the front. Today, Russian state television is filled with stories of the unimaginable heroism of Russian pilots, but traditionally remains silent about the loss of aircraft. Meanwhile, the Ukrainian side publishes chilling numbers — the Russians have already lost 336 aircraft since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Propagandists have also trumpeted today about Putin's visit to the Kazan Aviation Plant
Putin took the helm of the prototype strategic missile carrier Tu-160M. Apparently, propagandists aim to convince Russians not to be upset over the 336 lost aircraft — promising that new ones will be produced at the aviation plant. However, they have not specified when the prototype will be launched into mass production. Putin suggested naming it after the first president of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mintimer Shaimiev. Interestingly, aircraft are traditionally named after deceased individuals, yet Shaimiev is still alive. Perhaps, the Russian dictator's decision hints at something?
The Russian Consul General in Istanbul, Andrey Buravov, decided to support Putin in his challenging campaign to launder the reputation of Russian aviation. He announced that Russian companies are ready to cooperate with the Turkish side in the implementation of the KAAN fifth-generation fighter project. This aircraft just completed its first flight today. However, Buravov is likely aware that Ukrainian engineers are developing the engine for the Turkish fighter, and the Ukrainian side has already concluded agreements for purchasing KAAN. Moreover, its mass production will not start before 2028. Thus, Buravov's statement may only uplift gullible Russians and nothing more.
While propagandists sing praises of Russian aviation, the command of the Russian Aerospace Forces has to face the harsh reality and think about how to stop losing aircraft. Perhaps they really should pray before the icon gifted by Putin.
