Did Putin fear NATO would SHOOT HIS JET as he flew to G20? Records show his plane took 300 mile detour to avoid flying in NATO air space
Data from FlightRadar24 reveals plane carrying Putin avoided Poland and the Baltic States
It has raised questions about whether the president feared being shot down
The Kremlin has declined to comment on the reasons for the lengthy detour
Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been particularly vocal in their criticism of Moscow
DailyMail.com
8 July 2017
A plane carrying Russian President Vladimir Putin made a 300 mile detour to avoid flying over Poland and the Baltic States on his way to the G20 summit, it has emerged.
It has raised questions about whether Putin feared being shot down amid heightened tensions with NATO.
According to the FlightRadar24 website, the Russian government jet flying from Moscow to Hamburg on Thursday deviated from the direct route over Belarus and Poland.
Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia have been particularly vocal in their criticism of Moscow since Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014.
The Ilyushin with the registration number RA-96022 flew over the Baltic Sea, crossing on its way territory of neutral Finland and Sweden before entering the airspace of Denmark and Germany, both NATO members.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to comment on the reasons for the detour, saying only that the president’s security during trips was paramount.
‘The (safety) measures which are taken are expedient measures,’ he told a conference call with reporters.
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