A post seen on X purports to show Russian President Vladimir Putin’s airplane being escorted through the sky by a fleet of bombers.

This is how the Russian President Vladimir Putin travels by air, man has always been a force to reckon with! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/GBTgGVsSNF

— F A A R E E S 💫 🇵🇸 (@MFaarees_) November 22, 2024

Verdict: False

Planes shown are American B-52 bombers, which Russia is not known to have in their fleet.

Fact Check:

Russian President Vladimir Putin has come under fire for instigating the War in Ukraine, which he believes is legal Russian territory. The war, which became hot again in 2022, has seen over 500,000 deaths so far according to U.S. officials.

A video going viral on X claims to show Putin’s air escort, with a formation of over 15 planes that purport to be guiding the presidential aircraft through the sky. The video adds in footage of Putin sitting in his seat, looking out the window at aircraft flying a short distance to his side. (RELATED:

While the footage does not look to be manipulated, it is not true that the video shows Putin’s air escort. According to the New York Times, the Russian President flies in Ilyushin Il-96 series jets, a Russian designed aircraft that are known to be a bit dated.

Seen in the video is also a plane that Putin does not have access to. At 9 seconds in, the plane shown is clearly a B-52 bomber, an American made stealth bomber manufactured by Virginia-based Northrup Grumman. There is no evidence that Russia has any B-52 bombers in their fleet.

X/Screenshot

While it is confirmed that Putin travels with a military escort, even by air, it is doubtful that he travels with that many planes escorting him. A community note was placed on the viral post, letting users know proper context.