Russian government planes land in Alaska for talks with US officials

The gathering at Joint Base Elmendorf–Richardson marks the first face-to-face meeting between US President Donald Trump and President Putin since the onset of the full-scale conflict in Ukraine. The primary agenda is expected to address efforts to end tensions between Russia and Ukraine.

Data from Flightradar24 shows that two additional Il-96-300s—registered RA-96019 (RSD171) and RA-96018 (RSD308)—also departed Moscow Vnukovo Airport and are scheduled to arrive in Anchorage later in the day.

The Ilyushin Il-96 has been part of Russia’s VIP transport fleet since its introduction in the early 1990s. The aircraft is a four-engine widebody developed from the Il-86 and features upgraded engines and avionics. Although it did not achieve commercial success compared to Western long-haul jets, it remains central to government travel.

The presidential version of this jet is known as the Il-96-300PU. This variant includes extended range capabilities, secure communications equipment, private offices, meeting rooms, dining areas, medical facilities, and defensive systems. There are about 11 Il-96s currently active with Rossiya Special Flight Squadron.

Cubana de Aviación remains the only commercial airline still operating the Il-96 as of 2025. Aeroflot previously used these jets but retired them in 2014 after mainly deploying them on long domestic routes across Russia. Cubana introduced its Il-96 fleet in 2006 for international flights such as Havana to Madrid or Paris Charles de Gaulle. As of April 2024, Cubana had one active Il-96 registered CU-T1250; however, no recent flights have been recorded by Flightradar24 in recent weeks. In May 2025, Cubana operated several services with this aircraft including routes linking Moscow–Lisbon–Havana and Havana–Caracas.