putin travel by train

‘Ghost trains’ and armoured limos: how Vladimir Putin travels in secret luxury

Planes, trains and automobiles make up the Russian president’s fleet of undercover travel options

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Images of the interior of Vladimir Putin’s luxury train, equipped with anti-ageing machines and a Turkish bath, have been leaked for the first time – offering a rare glimpse into the Russian president’s day-to-day life.

What will Russia look like after Putin? Yevgeny Prigozhin and the other Kremlin contenders who could replace Vladimir Putin Vladimir Putin and the rise of the ‘short kings’

Putin is “famously guarded about his private life,” said the Australian Daily Telegraph , refusing to release “even simple details like how many properties he owns, whether he has a girlfriend or even whether he is father to a reported family of secret children”. His public image is carefully manicured and the extent of his wealth remains a mystery, although some suggest it could run into hundreds of billions of dollars.

Now leaked documents and photographs published by CNN have revealed details that the Kremlin “shrouds from public view”, and the extent to which “Putin’s paranoia has created a cloistered existence”.

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‘Ghost train’

Photos and plans obtained by the London-based Russian investigations group the Dossier Center , led by Mikhail Khodorkovsky, former oligarch turned major Putin critic, reveal life inside Putin’s lavish 22-car “ghost train” as it was dubbed by amateur trainspotters.

Features include a fully equipped gym or “sports-health wagon”, a full cosmetology centre including skincare and massage parlour with “anti-ageing machines” designed to tighten the skin, a tiled and fully equipped Turkish bath steam room, along with bedrooms, ornate dining cars and a cinema.

As well as serving as a mobile communications hub, the train’s design also prioritises the president’s safety at all times. Many parts of the train are reportedly armoured to prevent the use of listening devices, doors and windows are made with bulletproof material and life-saving medical equipment is always on board. Its exterior is disguised to look like a normal train. Dozens of crew members needed to operate the train wait in quarantine to protect Putin from illness .

According to the Dossier Center, the train cost the Russian taxpayer around $74 million, with annual upkeep running to $15.8 million.

Putin’s “extensive train usage has long been a matter of public record”, said the New York Post , with the Kremlin previously releasing images of him conducting state meetings in gilded rooms. However, the Kremlin has been quick to deny that the leaked images are of Putin’s train, with a Russian official telling CNN “President Putin does not have such a car in his use or in his ownership”.

Putin’s paranoia problem

Putin’s former speechwriter, Abbas Gallyamov, who now lives in Israel, told CNN Putin’s “feeling of political insecurity I think led to him start feeling more and more physically insecure”.

A growing “paranoia”, as Gallyamov described it, has caused the Russian leader to increasingly cut himself off from the world, and, “ironically, might be a reason for the extreme comforts built for his train” said CNN.

The latest leak, which the Dossier Center said came from an insider at Zircon Service, a Russian company tasked by the state-owned Russian Railways with outfitting the cars, will likely only add to Putin’s paranoia.

Tank-like limos and diversionary planes

While the lavishly decked-out train “seems to be the choice way for the paranoid Putin to move across the countryside and maybe get his Botox fix on the go, too”, said Uproxx , it is by no means the only way the president travels.

His primary mode of transport by road is via a fleet of “tank-like limos that are almost battle-ready”, reported The Times of India .

The armoured Aurus Senat limousine, which can go from zero to 100 km/h in six seconds, is able to withstand armour-piercing bullets and grenade attacks. While many features remained classified for security reasons, “we can only assume the limo will be equipped with substantial firepower, life-saving and firefighting equipment in case of attack”, said the newspaper.

When travelling by air, Putin takes even greater precautions. Last December, Yahoo News reported three aircraft taking off simultaneously from Moscow and St Petersburg in an effort to conceal his true route for a trip to Belarus .

Gleb Karakulov, a former captain in the Federal Security Service, which protects the Russian president, who defected last year and was interviewed by the Dossier Center, said Putin has increasingly turned to train travel as a way to avoid being tracked.

“The plane, as soon as it takes off, it immediately crosses flight radar,” Karakulov said. “The train, it is used in order to somehow hide these movements.”

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Putin Rides Around Russia in a Sneaky Little Bulletproof Train

He’s been using it a lot lately.

• All of Putin’s residences are linked by railway lines.
• Putin has used the bulletproof train more frequently since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin apparently likes to travel in style and safety, even when he’s riding the rails.

The Russian president has the option to hunker down in a luxurious bulletproof train when he gets the urge to tour his country, according to an investigation by the Dossier Center . The specially outfitted bulletproof train allows Putin to keep in touch with his armed forces, much as Air Force One lets the U.S. president work when Joe Biden takes to the skies.

Putin won’t lack for things to do when he spends time on his bulletproof train. The rail cars include a private bedroom and a room outfitted for meetings. There’s no need to mix with the hired help as the train has an extra vehicle for Putin’s entourage. In case the Russian leader wants to reach the outside world, the train boasts a sophisticated communications car.

Putin has plenty of options when it comes to where he can travel on his bulletproof train. All of Putin’s residences are linked by railway lines, and stations have been constructed so that he doesn’t have to spend much time flying, according to a report by the Proyekt (Project) investigative news outlet.

Security is of paramount importance when it comes to the Russian presidential train. Many of the train stations that Putin travels to were constructed in secrecy. But Proyekt revealed the existence of a guarded railway station complete with a helicopter landing pad not far from Putin’s house in Valday.

Enemies will have to guess when the presidential bulletproof train will roll into town if they’re planning an ambush. The special train looks just like a regular passenger train, except for the antennas used for the communications equipment. To make things even safer, the train goes at top speed.

Russian leaders have a long history of using trains. Communist leader Leon Trotsky used an armored train during the Russian Civil War that was outfitted with a telegraph, library, and printing press.

Putin’s train travel might be due to fears that the Russian invasion of Ukraine could bring retaliation. A covert Ukrainian military unit has reportedly been tasked with striking targets inside Russian territory.

The Dossier Center investigation found that Putin has stepped up his bulletproof train use since planning began for the invasion. The report noted that the train could offer extra security because its path can’t be searched online using flight tracking services.

Sascha Brodsky, a freelance journalist based in New York City and a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, writes about many aspects of technology including personal technology, AI, and virtual reality. His work has appeared in The New York Times , The Atlantic , The Guardian , and many other publications. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling and hiking. 

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A railroad fan photographed Putin’s armored train. Now he lives in exile.

RIGA, Latvia — For Mikhail Korotkov, a lifelong “trainspotter,” one unusual train on Russia’s railways became an obsession — like stalking a rare, shy beast.

Korotkov, 31, spent years tracking and photographing President Vladimir Putin’s special hush-hush, deluxe armored train. He was the first enthusiast to post an image of the train — sleek silver with red-and-gray detailing, often pulled by multiple boxy locomotives — online in 2018. “Mere mortals do not travel on such a train,” Korotkov wrote.

Finding and photographing the train was both terrifying and exhilarating. To Korotkov, it was like a creepy “ghost train,” with a secret timetable, no identifying locomotive numbers and its windows always screened. At least, one of the rail cars has an unusual dome on top — believed to house special communications equipment.

“I was so deep in my hobby. I tried to get really rare pictures,” Korotkov recalled in an interview. “And for me, the challenge was so huge that I was not thinking about consequences.”

The Russian president is known to be fanatically cautious — detractors would say paranoid — when it comes to security.

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During the coronavirus pandemic, Putin had a special “disinfection tunnel” installed at his residence to decontaminate visitors with aerosol cleaning agents and ultraviolet light. At times, Putin seemed to stay isolated for weeks.

It was during the pandemic that Korotkov and fellow enthusiasts noticed a sharp increase in use of the presidential train. “It rushes like a madman, and all the other scheduled trains make way for it,” he wrote on his blog in 2021.

To see Russia’s secret antiwar art: Meet at a bus stop. At dark. Phones off.

With Russia at war in Ukraine, Putin seems to be using it even more, making the train a subject of intense curiosity for Russian investigative news outlets.

The London-based Dossier Center, linked with Kremlin critic Mikhail Khodorkovsky, quoted an unnamed source close to the presidential administration saying Putin has used the train increasingly since 2021, because it cannot be tracked like planes. Russian media outlet Proekt reported last month that secret stations and connecting lines had been built in locations that Putin visits often, including Novo Ogaryovo outside Moscow in 2015, Sochi in 2017, and Valdai in 2019.

Russia’s subway and rail stations are among the world’s most beautiful but Korotkov always fixated on the trains, a love dating to childhood when his parents bought him a toy railway. Raised in Dedovsk, a small town west of Moscow, he began his blog “Railway Life” with its slogan “on railways with love” in his second year of university, when he did not even own a computer.

Korotkov, in an interview, said he put his soul into the blog, “a colossal, painstaking work.” He once raced a Russian intercity train on a quad bike and filmed the adventure. He would take long bike rides or hikes in the countryside looking for interesting trains and planes, befriending random dogs along the way. At home, he doted on his pet rat, Baranka, which means “Bagel.”

Trainspotters in Russia, like elsewhere, form a small but passionate community. Fellow hobbyists would tip off Korotkov whenever Putin’s special train was headed out of Moscow, so he could rush to the tracks with his camera.

He took many photos of Putin’s train, but posted just a few online. “I was trying not to attract attention to the fact that I was so very interested in the topic,” he said, adding that it was the peak of his hobby. After that, there was no other big target to hunt.

Russia eyes pressure tactics to lure fleeing tech workers home

Korotkov’s passion, however, was apparently not appreciated by the special services tasked with protecting Putin and his secrets.

In May 2021, strange messages appeared on Korotkov’s YouTube page: word-for-word transcripts of private phone conversations between him and his closest friend and fellow trainspotter, Vladimir, about a hiking trip the two were planning, about Vladimir’s daughter, and other revealing chatter.

“When I saw those conversations in my comments, that was creepy,” he said. The only explanation, he said, was that he was being watched by the Federal Security Service, or FSB. He interpreted the messages as a warning to stop. “I thought about my personal safety, and from that moment I realized that everything I had published on the internet could be used against me,” he said. The childlike joy he derived from his trainspotting blog of 11 years turned to ashes.

“I told my parents that my life was in danger,” he said.

For Korotkov, 2022 was a tough year. On the day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he woke up in his apartment to the sound of breaking glass and the smell of smoke. A fire had started in the apartment beneath his, at almost the same hour of Russia’s attack.

The invasion shocked him. He said he tried to avoid arguing with his parents, who strongly supported it. But he couldn’t sleep and spent nights restlessly following war news on his phone. Tired and distracted, he said he would leave his apartment without closing the door, forget to pay for groceries at the store, and once left a kettle on the stove, nearly causing a fire.

He feared his trainspotting posts could be used to jail him on sabotage or terrorism charges. In March, he shut the blog, he said, for “my personal security.” Still, his anxiety increased as the Kremlin, in wartime, grew more repressive.

Without the blog, he said, he felt as if he had lost his life’s anchor. He focused on his two jobs as a financial analyst and a part-time physics teacher. “My work and my rat saved me.”

He went to concerts and exhibitions and took walks in the park, trying, he said, to balance the beauty of life with the awful knowledge that the war was going on. “I tried to enjoy each moment, coexisting with the bitterness of what was happening,” he said, “keeping a bright hope.” It was not easy.

Traumatic stress, an invisible wound, hobbles Ukrainian soldiers

In July, his beloved pet rat sickened, and he spent weeks trying to save it. He felt bitter toward his parents, who suggested he throw the dying rat into the trash or even feed it to their cat. In August, he held a solemn ceremony and buried it. “I’ve lost another anchor,” he wrote at the time.

Putin’s military mobilization in September finally jolted him into action and, within days, he fled Russia, brushing aside his parents’ pleas to stay. Korotkov said his philosophy is “love toward everything and everyone who is alive,” but that this simple ideal is out of step with Russia’s increasingly militaristic, authoritarian society, and even with his own parents.

“The hardest thing was to finally realize that emigration was the only solution, and to give up my past life and start from zero,” he said.

He said he had been thinking about leaving since 2014, when Russia invaded and illegally annexed Crimea. “I could see what was happening in the country and I thought I should start thinking about emigration,” he said. He wasn’t alone. After university graduation in 2015, he said, most of his classmates left. But Korotkov hung on, spotting trains, posting photos, hoping things would get better.

He left Moscow — not by train, but by car — driving to neighboring Kazakhstan. By the time two summonses for military duty arrived at two addresses where he lived, he was already across the border in Kazakhstan. From there, he went to India for several months. “All my life was in my backpack — my laptop, passport, documents, my mobile phone,” he said.

Now he lives near a beach in Sri Lanka, running online IT training courses for a Russian company. (The finance company fired him after he left.) “I miss my family,” he said. “But that is the only thing I left in Russia.”

When he began his blog in 2011, Korotkov never dreamed it would grow into such a grand passion, or lead to trouble with the authorities. These days, he stalks planes instead of trains, and posts colorful videos of his life abroad. His camera lens tends to find animals, trains, buses, planes, people on the move and small human moments. He posts live streams daily, analyzes the latest trainspotter photos from Russia or uses ChatGPT.

“While the conflict between Russia and Ukraine is still going on, my life is up in the air,” he said. “Unfortunately, it could take a very long time.” Meanwhile, he said, “I am ready to move around the world. The main thing is electricity for my laptop and WiFi for my work.”

What to know about Ukraine’s counteroffensive

The latest: The Ukrainian military has launched a long-anticipated counteroffensive against occupying Russian forces , opening a crucial phase in the war aimed at restoring Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty and preserving Western support in its fight against Moscow.

The fight: Ukrainian troops have intensified their attacks on the front line in the southeast region, according to multiple individuals in the country’s armed forces, in a significant push toward Russian-occupied territory.

The front line: The Washington Post has mapped out the 600-mile front line between Ukrainian and Russian forces .

How you can help: Here are ways those in the United States can support the Ukrainian people as well as what people around the world have been donating.

Read our full coverage of the Russia-Ukraine war . Are you on Telegram? Subscribe to our channel for updates and exclusive video .

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Not only an armoured train: a secret railway was built for Putin in Russia

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

A secret railway and a network of stations leading to his residences were built in Russia  for Vladimir Putin , the president of the aggressor country. Earlier, it was reported that Putin has started travelling around the country on his armoured train.

Source : Proekt (Project) investigative media outlet

Quote : "All of Vladimir Putin's main residences have been connected to railway lines, and secret stations have been built nearby, as the Project has found out. This confirms the reports of the Dossier Center that the head of state has recently begun to use the train more often than the plane."

Details : The media outlet has found at least three locations that may be associated with Putin's secret railway service.

In particular, on the territory of the Valdaysky National Park, there is a guarded railway station with a helipad near the village of Dolgiye Borody, the nearest settlement to Putin's favourite Valday residence. Three local residents told the media outlet that the station and a special railway line to it were built only for the president.

In addition, according to satellite images, the station in Novo-Ogaryovo appeared in 2015 and is located 400 metres from Putin's residence in Moscow Oblast. The land under the station was withdrawn from private ownership in favour of the Federal Guard Service by the decision of the then Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev. The special station itself is designed for a small number of cars and is hidden behind a high fence with surveillance cameras installed every 10 metres.

To stop the train near the Sochi residence Bocharov Ruchey, a platform and a new dead-end railway line appeared in 2017, hidden from the tracks used by electric trains by a high fence.

The president's special train has repeatedly been caught on camera by trainspotters and railway workers. For example, in November 2018 or April 2020.

According to the former driver with whom the Proekt spoke, Putin's armoured train is based in a depot at the Moscow-Kalanchyovskaya railway station with a closed terminal for VIPs. This special station is still functioning, and the high fence surrounding it is additionally reinforced with barbed wire. In 2017, a new highway was laid directly to the platform of the VIP terminal on Kalanchyovskaya. The president's special train belongs to the Grand Service Express Company, which was associated with Putin's close friend Yury Kovalchuk.

Background :

On 13 February, the Dossier Center reported that Vladimir Putin has been increasingly using an armoured train for long-distance trips to his residences, which he switched to in the spring of 2021.

In December 2022, it was reported that Putin has an extensive chain of secret bunkers stretching from Moscow to the Urals, and new underground shelters continue to be built in Russia.

Journalists fight on their own frontline. Support Ukrainska Pravda or become our patron !

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What we know about Kim Jong Un's train — a slow-moving bulletproof fortress

Noah Caldwell

Sarah Handel

Kim Jong Un steps off his train in 2019 ahead of the U.S.-North Korea summit. Nhac Nguyen/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Kim Jong Un steps off his train in 2019 ahead of the U.S.-North Korea summit.

On Monday, a dark green train with yellow trim was spotted at the border where Russia, China and North Korea meet. Its distinctive coloring identified it as a one-of-a-kind vehicle that runs with one passenger in mind: the leader of North Korea, Kim Jong Un.

Kim rarely leaves North Korea. And when he does, he rarely flies, preferring to take an armored train, just like his father and grandfather did before him. This time, Kim is believed to be on his way to Russia for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin — his first known trip outside North Korea in more than four years.

A slow-moving bulletproof fortress

So what do we know about Kim's locomotive fortress? Well, for one, it's gargantuan.

In 2009, the Chosun media outlet in South Korea published details on the train used by Kim's father, Kim Jong Il, and estimated that its engine pulled around 90 cars behind it. More recent estimates of Kim Jong Un's train suggest that number may have dropped to 21. Some reports also suggest that two other trains travel with Kim's main train: one to check the tracks ahead, and another to carry his security entourage.

On Monday, a green train with yellow trimmings, resembling one used by Kim Jong Un on his previous travels, is seen steaming by a slogan which reads "towards a new victory" on the North Korea border with Russia and China. Ng Han Guan/AP hide caption

The train contains bedrooms and conference rooms used for official state business. Few images of its interior have been released, but one video released in 2018 showed Kim meeting with top Chinese officials in a wide train car ringed with pink couches.

Weighed down by bulletproof siding, the train moves at a glacial pace compared to most modern trains. It's estimated that it only moves at a speed of around 28 miles per hour on tracks in North Korea, and can increase its speed when it operates on China's rail network.

All in the family

The Kim family's penchant for traveling by train started with Kim Il Sung, the founder of North Korea, who was once gifted a train carriage by Soviet leader Joseph Stalin. His son, Kim Jong Il, was famously afraid of flying, and preferred to travel by train. In 2010, his former bodyguard told South Korean media that the North Korean leader was afraid of being shot down by his enemies if he traveled by plane. Kim died of heart failure the following year – and North Korean state media said that he was on a train when he passed away.

In this photo released by press office of the administration of Primorsky Krai region, North Korea's security officers wait for North Korean leader Kim Jong Un near the train as he leaves Russia, at the main train station in Vladivostok, Russia, on April 26, 2019. Alexander Safronov/AP hide caption

Kim Jong Un, the current leader of North Korea, has continued the family tradition. In 2019, he traveled around 4,500 kilometers through China in the armored train to reach Vietnam for his second face-to-face meeting with then-President Donald Trump. The journey took two-and-a-half days.

A repeat summit

This week, Kim seems poised to arrive at his summit with Putin in similar fashion. South Korean media have reported that Kim left Pyongyang by train late on Sunday , and that a large security presence had descended on the train station in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, in anticipation of Kim's arrival.

In this 2019 photo, a train carrying Kim Jong Un arrives for a planned meeting with President Vladimir Putin in Vladivostok, Russia. Alexander Khitrov/AP hide caption

Details about the potential meeting between Kim and Putin are scarce, but the Kremlin has confirmed that Kim will be arriving for an official visit. Over the weekend, Jon Finer, the chief deputy national security advisor for President Joe Biden, suggested that North Korea could be in the position of selling weapons to Russia for use in its war in Ukraine. For his part, Kim may be looking for much-needed food aid and advanced military technology. Kim and Putin have only met one other time, four years ago in the same Russian city of Vladivostok – then, too, he arrived in his bulletproof train.

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Breaking news, vladimir putin’s lavish 22-car ‘ghost train’ seen in newly leaked images — including gym, ‘anti-aging machines’.

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Newly released images have offered a glimpse of the lavish interior of the 22-car “ghost train” Russian president Vladimir Putin uses to traverse his country in comfort and secrecy.

The train’s features include a fully equipped gym or “sports-health wagon,” a skincare and massage parlor with “anti-aging machines,” a tiled and fully-equipped Turkish bath steam room, along with lush bedrooms and ornate dining cars.

There is also a movie theater, several cars filled with communications systems that allow Putin to remain connected to and informed about the outside world at all times, and an entire car housing a diesel power generator.

The train is heavily armored, the doors and windows throughout are bulletproof, and it is stocked with life-saving medical equipment and facilities.

Details about the train were leaked by the Dossier Center , a London-based group backed by Kremlin critic and exiled Russian oil tycoon Mikhail Khodorkovsky, which is dedicated to investigating the inner-workings of Russia, according to CNN.

The Dossier Center said it obtained the inside information about the train from a source at the Russian company Zicron Service, which the state-operated railway company Russian Railways hired to outfit a train for use by the president of Russia.

Production costs for the train ran the Russian people about $74 million, with annual upkeeps running around $15.8million, according to the Dossier Center.

Putin’s extensive train-usage has long been a matter of public record, with the Kremlin itself previously releasing images of him conducting state meetings in lavishly gilded rooms.

The Kremlin, however, denied that the images and details in the Dossier Center’s findings were from Putin’s train.

“President Putin does not have such a car in his use or in his ownership,” Russian officials told CNN.

Amateur train spotters in Russia have long-suspected and documented the existence of Putin’s ghost train.

Taking to blogs, hobbyists have repeatedly reported seeing a train speeding down Russian tracks that wasn’t listed on any timetables or logged in any official railway databases.

That train was always pulling a car capped with a characteristic white-dome, which reportedly contains the antennae and satellite nodes that keep Putin’s elaborate communications array connected.

Insiders say Putin prefers to travel by rail instead of air because of the secrecy and security provided by remaining on the ground.

“The plane, as soon as it takes off, it immediately crosses flight radar,” Gleb Karakulov, a former member of the Federal Security Service which is tasked with keeping Russia’s president safe, told the Dossier Center.

“The train, it is used in order to somehow hide these movements.”

The train was reportedly first commissioned in 2014, and saw a considerable increase in usage as the Russian invasion of Ukraine unfolded in 2022.

Dozens of crew members are on call around the clock to operate the train, Karakulov said, with each of them waiting in quarantine so Putin can remain safe from illness while on board.

“Our employees were in quarantine specifically for this special train,” Karakulov said. “Since the beginning of the war, guys said that they left to somewhere in the direction of Valdai for 40 or even 45 days.”

Previous reports from the Russian outlet Proekt said an entire rail line was built throughout Russia connecting Putin’s numerous private residences to main rail arteries, along with secret stations that only his train had access to.

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Paranoid Vladimir Putin 'now travels in specially-made armoured trains over fears his Flying Kremlin presidential plane will be shot out of sky'

• Despite elaborate precautions for his safety, Putin reportedly remains anxious
• Putin's train is camouflaged to look like a normal Russian passenger train

By Will Stewart and Christian Oliver

Published: 06:44 EDT, 14 February 2023 | Updated: 07:50 EDT, 14 February 2023

View comments

A paranoid Vladimir Putin is now travelling in a specially-made armoured train instead of his usual Flying Kremlin plane.

The Russian leader has taken to the railways as he is reportedly scared of being tracked and shot out of the sky when flying in his presidential plane.

Despite elaborate precautions for his safety since the war began to avoid airspace close to Ukraine , Putin reportedly remains anxious.

His train is camouflaged in grey and red to look like a Russian normal passenger train, making it visually almost indistinguishable from them.

Putin's transition to rail comes as a former KGB colleague who attended spy school with the Russian leader said the war in Ukraine has increased the president's anxiety.

The Russian leader (centre) has taken to the railways as he is reportedly scared of being tracked and shot out of the sky when flying in his presidential plane

His train is camouflaged in grey and red to look like a Russian normal passenger train, making it visually almost indistinguishable from them

Putin's transition to rail comes as a former KGB colleague who attended spy school with the Russian leader said the war in Ukraine has increased the president's anxiety

The Russian president's train boasts radio antennae for special communications fixed to the roof of certain carriages, covered by casings, and has been upgraded to be more secure.

It has reinforced axles like heavy freight trains because of the weight of the armour on the carriages. It requires three engines at the front, and has one at the rear.

On the side of the train is the logo of Grand Service Express, a company which Dossier alleges is linked to close Putin associate Yuri Kovalchuk.

Regular trains are halted to allow the Putin express to speed to its destinations.

Putin rarely admits to using this train in public, and has not been photographed on it since 2012.

'For the president of the aggressor country, it is indeed worth worrying about his safety,' said journalist Ilya Rozhdestvensky.

'Several of Putin's residences which he usually got to by air are located in an area where flights are significantly limited, due to combat activities.

'That is to say, if the president feels like visiting his palace near Gelendzhik [on the Black Sea], there is no guarantee that there will not be an attempt to shoot down his plane'.

In April last year the Ukrainians sank his flagship Moskva cruiser in the Black Sea, where he has several favourite residences.

Putin has also used it to reach his luxury residence at Valdai, between Moscow and St Petersburg, it is claimed.

For this reason he is now using more frequently his specially constructed armoured train rather than his Flying Kremlin presidential IL-96-300PU plane.

The Russian president's train boasts radio antennae for special communications fixed to the roof of certain carriages, covered by casings, and has been upgraded to be more secure

It has reinforced axles like heavy freight trains because of the weight of the armour on the carriages. It requires three engines at the front, and has one at the rear

Yury Shvets, 71, Putin's contemporary who studied with him at the KGB Institute, said Putin is not only anxious over being tracked in his plane but is also concerned over a 'meat grinder' struggle for power inside his Kremlin circle.

This - rather than a fear of flu or new Covid strain - is behind his increasing self-isolation, limiting face to face meetings.

'It looks like he fears for his life,' Shvets said.

'Around him there is a struggle, a meat grinder. And in this struggle, Putin can very easily end his existence. So he has isolated himself again.

'Poisons have run rife under Putin, as a key weapon against his enemies,' Shvets told Ukrainian outlet gordonua.com.

'Poison is the weapon of complete villains. This is what has flourished under him [Putin].

Yury Shvets (pictured), Putin's contemporary who studied with him at the KGB Institute, said Putin concerned over a 'meat grinder' struggle for power inside his Kremlin circle

Shvets (right) said: 'Quite likely he will be poisoned. This is the easiest way.'

'They couldn't keep it under unified control. And who now has this weapon, even he does not know. This is a source of very great stress for him.'

Shvets said: 'Quite likely he will be poisoned. This is the easiest way.'

While Shvets - once a KGB 'rezident' spy in Washington who now has US citizenship - doubts the 'grey mice' in his top circle are up to assassinating him, the fear stalks Putin, he said.

More evidence of Putin's paranoia is his decision to use an armoured train for travelling around Russia, especially between his various palaces, said another report by Dossier Centre, linked to exiled billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky, once Russia's richest man.

Share or comment on this article: Putin now travels in specially-made armoured trains over fears he will be shot out of sky

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Putin Shows He Can Antagonize the U.S. Far Afield From Ukraine

His support for North Korea’s military ambitions showed he can inflict pain on the U.S. and its NATO allies in ways beyond aggression in Ukraine.

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By Paul Sonne

Reporting from Berlin

When the United States and its Western allies declared that Ukraine could strike Russian territory with their weapons, President Vladimir V. Putin began ratcheting up the threats.

He triggered drills in Russia to practice the use of tactical nuclear weapons . He said Moscow would consider changing the doctrine that outlines when it would use its nuclear arsenal. He reminded unnamed NATO countries in Europe of their small territories and dense populations, implying they could be easily obliterated.

And this week, the Russian leader took his threats to another corner of the globe, reviving a Cold War-era mutual defense pact with North Korea and warning that he may arm Kim Jong-un in response to the loosened restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western arms.

“The Westerners supply weapons to Ukraine and say that ‘we don’t control anything here at all,’” he said Thursday, failing to acknowledge the limits Washington and its allies have placed on Ukraine . “We can also say that we delivered something to someone, and then we have no control over anything. Let them think about that.”

His ominous warnings, at the end of a two-day trip to North Korea and Vietnam, placed Russia and the West in a new round of escalation over Ukraine. They come amid distraction and political uncertainty among Kyiv’s chief backers, with potentially game-changing elections on the horizon in the United States and France.

Beyond using nuclear weapons or causing more destruction on the battlefield in Ukraine, the Russian leader is seeking to prove he can pressure and antagonize the West in other ways and other places.

“I am afraid we are in a bad spiral, that policymakers have an illusion of control,” said Alexander Gabuev, director of the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. “The really dangerous part of what is happening is that Russia is ready to act as a spoiler and is determined to extract a cost from the West for supporting Ukraine militarily — and it is ready to do several irreversible acts, like sharing sophisticated military technology with North Korea.”

With Western officials more inured to Mr. Putin’s threats than during the early days of the war, the Russian leader has changed the content and turned up the volume, asking rhetorically at one point Thursday why Moscow shouldn’t “go all the way” — an apparent reference to nuclear war — if the West indeed is seeking its “strategic defeat.”

From the start, Mr. Putin has used the threat of nuclear war as a way to deter Western nations from supporting Ukraine. When he launched his full-scale invasion in early 2022 , he warned any country considering intervening that they would face consequences “such as you have never seen in your entire history.”

Initially, the threat worked. President Biden’s administration made the avoidance of nuclear war the North Star of its Ukraine policy. The United States and its allies withheld a full suite of sophisticated weapons from Kyiv out of fears that Mr. Putin would carry out a nuclear strike or retaliate directly against a NATO member state.

Critics of that restraint have argued it robbed Ukraine of its best chance at victory during the first year of the invasion, when Russia was failing badly on the battlefield and Ukraine still had an abundance of trained personnel.

But supporters say the approach allowed the West to arm Ukraine with weapons that would have triggered a stronger reaction from the Kremlin had they been given all at once. Ukraine’s allies gradually increased the sophistication and scope of their weapons deliveries, first with HIMARS missile launchers, later with tanks and F-16 fighter jets, in a strategy that some Western officials likened to the gradual boiling of a frog.

The latest change — permission for Ukraine to conduct limited strikes into Russia to defend itself against cross-border attacks — appears to have Mr. Putin feeling the heat. Since that shift, he has frequently mentioned his nuclear arsenal and suggested other ways Russia could escalate in response to the West.

Skeptics of Mr. Putin’s rhetoric say they see little reason for him to use a nuclear weapon. A senior NATO official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss private assessments, said the alliance judged it “unlikely” that Mr. Putin would use nuclear weapons in the conflict and hadn’t seen any changes to Russia’s nuclear posture to suggest otherwise.

But Mr. Putin showed in Pyongyang that he can take measures short of firing off a nuclear weapon and far afield from Ukraine, and still unnerve the United States and its allies.

The Russian leader’s willingness to brandish the possibility of arming Pyongyang, which earlier in Mr. Putin’s tenure as president would have been unthinkable, shows how much the war in Ukraine has become a singular, defining principle of his foreign policy and his rule.

“Russian foreign policy is now structured around the war,” Mr. Gabuev said. “In every relationship, there are three goals: first, support for the Russian military machine; second, support for the Russian economy under sanctions; and three, how can I instrumentalize this relationship to inflict pain on the U.S. and its allies for their support of Ukraine?”

The discomfort could go beyond arming Mr. Kim. A comment Mr. Putin made earlier this month in St. Petersburg led some analysts to suggest that he was considering giving weapons to the Houthis, the Iran-backed Shiite militants in Yemen, who have been attacking U.S. vessels and aircraft in and around the Red Sea , or other groups hostile to the United States and its allies.

Doubters of Mr. Putin’s nuclear saber rattling reason that Russia is on the front foot in Ukraine, making him unlikely to do anything dramatic that could further mobilize Kyiv’s backers or jeopardize his battlefield trajectory. Former President Donald J. Trump, who has made clear his distaste for U.S. spending on Ukraine, may be back in the White House in seven months.

“If Russia is fundamentally confident that the future is better than the past, then that makes the use of nuclear weapons very unlikely,” said Nigel Gould-Davies, senior fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies and a former U.K. ambassador to Belarus.

Still, some analysts worry that Western desensitization to Putin’s warnings have created a precarious situation.

In Moscow, a foreign policy expert who has advised the Kremlin acknowledged that Russia at times has cried wolf, “but the wolf never appeared.”

There is a growing sense in Moscow, the person said, that Russia’s threats directed at the West had not been sufficiently convincing and that it was necessary to raise the temperature a little bit.

Beyond arming American adversaries, including North Korea and Iran, experts in Moscow were discussing the possibility of cyber or space attacks, the person said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he feared retribution for speaking with an American news outlet.

Andrea Kendall-Taylor, a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said there was now an increased risk of an unintended escalation, where one side takes an action based on a misperception of what the other is doing. Officials in the United States, for example, recently expressed worries about the Kremlin misinterpreting Ukrainian attacks against Russian sites that are part of Moscow’s nuclear early-warning system.

“I think we keep focusing on nuclear escalation, and it’s distracting us from fully coming to grasp all the ways he is escalating out of that domain,” Ms. Kendall-Taylor said.

Rogue arms transfers or increased sabotage attacks outside Ukraine would be a logical escalation for Mr. Putin, analysts say, given Russia’s unique Soviet inheritance — global reach, weapons-making prowess and intelligence services skilled in unconventional warfare.

“People knock Russia and say it is a declining power,” said Bobo Lo, a nonresident fellow at the Lowy Institute in Sydney, Australia, and a former Australian diplomat in Moscow. “But it is still a formidable disruptive power. That’s its comparative advantage. It not only has the capability to disrupt, it has the will.”

Anton Troianovski and Lara Jakes contributed reporting.

Paul Sonne is an international correspondent, focusing on Russia and the varied impacts of President Vladimir V. Putin’s domestic and foreign policies, with a focus on the war against Ukraine. More about Paul Sonne

Our Coverage of the War in Ukraine

News and Analysis

Ukraine’s security service said that it had foiled yet another Russian plot  to stir public unrest and then use the ensuing turmoil to topple the government.

A Russian missile attack on a small town in southeastern Ukraine and the fiery inferno that followed killed at least seven civilians , including three children, Ukrainian authorities said.

May was a particularly deadly month for the Russian army in Ukraine , with an average of more than 1,000 of its soldiers injured or killed each day, according to Western intelligence agencies.

Evading Conscription: Fearful of a one-way ticket to bloody trench warfare, some Ukrainian men are spending their days holed up at home  to avoid draft officers who roam the streets.

Inside Russia’s Chechen Units: After hundreds of years of enmity with Russia, Chechens are deploying to Ukraine to fight Moscow’s war .

Narrowing Press Freedoms: Journalists in Ukraine say they are subject to increasing restrictions and pressure from the government , adding that the measures go beyond wartime security needs.

How We Verify Our Reporting

Our team of visual journalists analyzes satellite images, photographs , videos and radio transmissions  to independently confirm troop movements and other details.

We monitor and authenticate reports on social media, corroborating these with eyewitness accounts and interviews. Read more about our reporting efforts .

Mistakes People Make When Traveling By Train

T aking a train is one of the best ways to travel, although it can be easy to make some mistakes riding the rails. Beyond the well-deserved romanticization of this mode of transport, it's one of the more enjoyable ways to move between destinations. The ever-increasing hassles, disruptions, and necessary early arrival time of air travel don't exist, and someone else handles the stress of driving! And, wherever in the world you are, enjoying the scenery from the comfort of a train seat is more relaxing than from the driver's seat of a vehicle you're responsible for keeping in control.

Rail seats also tend to be more spacious than those on buses and planes, which only adds to the positives of traveling by train. Additionally, on most carriers, you aren't charged extra (or moved at the last moment) if you want to be seated with traveling companions. In fact, if you purchase tickets on the same booking, you're almost always seated together unless it's extremely last minute and a packed train. If you're conscious about your carbon footprint, trains are much more eco-friendly than driving (even in a carpool) or flying. However, if you're not accustomed to it, or even a frequent train traveler, it can be easy to make simple errors. Keep reading to avoid potential mistakes next time you ride the rails.

Read more: This Is What You Should Never Do When You Travel

Thinking You Can Just Decide, Book, And Board On The Same Day Of Travel

Sure, train travel doesn't require the same months of preparation that booking plane itineraries does, but you do need to plan a bit. This is especially true for long-distance journeys . A short, regional ticket between two southern French cities in the same department, like Avignon and Arles, can be bought the day before (or even the day of) without much of a price difference. But try doing that for a TGV (high-speed) ticket between Paris and Marseille or Berlin and Vienna, and you could be stuck with fares that are double or triple the price available in advance. 

What will spare you this sticker shock is including train research very early in your trip planning. As soon as you have a rough route in mind, look up the train options and note if a long-distance, high-speed train will be required. You don't necessarily need to book the tickets right away. But it's wise to enter some hypothetical dates to get an idea if there's a big difference in price if you buy that same day versus a month (or a few) ahead of time. If advance booking looks like the best option, make sure to book flexible tickets in case your plans change.

Not Booking On The Right Website Or App

Booking websites such as Rome2Rio, Omio, and Trainline are good for research, as each of them does a solid job of providing all the options for your desired route. However, once you've determined your path, go directly to the rail operator to buy tickets. Only book on an alternative provider if there is a huge price difference (i.e., an unbeatable deal) or if your departure is soon and you're unlikely to cancel or adjust the ticket. It is also a good idea to always check the flexibility of the ticket.

Additionally, you don't always get the same rights on a third-party ticket as you would for one booked directly with the rail company. For example, with regional TER trains in France, you can usually take any train for the route you've booked on the day you bought a ticket for, as long as it's not high-speed (those require reservations.) So if you bought a ticket between Rennes and Saint-Malo in Bretagne for October 25, you can take any train that day, even though SNCF (the French national carrier) usually requires you to choose a time when you purchase. However, that's not always true if you book a third party. Usually, those sites charge a fee to adjust ticket times.

Assuming There Will Be Food

Many high-speed and long-distance trains have dining cars where you can sit and enjoy a meal or grab a coffee and sandwich to bring back to your seat. However, this is not guaranteed on any route or in any country. You can check your booking confirmation for details about the train, and it'll usually indicate if there is a dining car. But, even if the app or ticket says there's a dining car, the train could change at the last moment, or a technical issue might arise, and suddenly, they have to swap the train for one without food and drink amenities. These events are rare, but in general, you should bring plenty of water and snacks to be on the safe side. This is usually a cheaper option than purchases made on the train.

Additionally, sometimes unofficial food carts will make their way on board thanks to a savvy entrepreneur who knows certain routes don't provide refreshments. Again, these aren't guaranteed, and purchases from unofficial vendors are at your own risk.

Assuming There Will Be Wi-Fi And Other Tech Amenities

On many of the longer-distance and high-speed routes, there is Wi-Fi, but it's never guaranteed. Even when it is provided, the connection is often slow or faulty and can randomly stop working at any moment. Connection issues are fine if all you want to do is occasionally check messages or the weather at your destination. It's less than ideal if you plan to get work done (a good idea on longer journeys) or stream something en route. Check your journey details as it'll usually indicate whether Wi-Fi is provided, but don't bank on it working well. Bring your own hotspot (even if it's just a cellphone) or download entertainment ahead of time to avoid disappointment.

Additionally, there might not be a place to charge electronics on-board. If there is, sometimes the plug-ins can be spread unevenly throughout the train and not necessarily be near your seat. This can be particularly problematic on long-distance routes where seats are assigned. So, if yours isn't near a power plug, you'll need to rely on the kindness of other passengers. Sometimes, the outlets don't even work. If being online during your journey is a must, bring a portable power bank along with a hotspot.

Not Reading The Itinerary Carefully

It's all well and good to research, plan ahead, and feel excited about transportation before your trip. But it's always a good idea to double-check. One of the mistakes people often make when traveling by train is not reading itineraries carefully. They book a ticket from Cologne to Munich and fail to recognize the small indication on the app noting a connection in Frankfurt. Now, you would usually figure this out at the station when you board the indicated train and don't see your final destination listed, but it's nice to avoid surprises where possible.

Another mistake people make is not realizing many cities have multiple train stations. This is rare in North America, but in Europe, even smaller cities like Lyon have a few stations. Paris has six. If you book a round-trip, sometimes you depart and arrive at a different train station. Again, it is not the end of the world, but it could cause unnecessary stress if you don't know the area well or have booked accommodation far away. Finally, even if you know that there's a connection, did you check carefully that the second leg departs at the same station? Again, this is rare, but sometimes itineraries require a change of station, so be aware of that ahead of time or avoid a ticket with that as a requirement.

Not Checking Luggage Restrictions And Requirements

Luggage norms depend on the company, route, and where you're traveling, of course, but don't assume there won't be any restrictions. Sure, it's not Ryanair or Spirit where charges arise for every little extra thing possible, but don't show up with five suitcases and expect not to be charged, or at the very least, given a few odd looks. You'll be responsible for getting it on and off the train yourself, so if you're okay with doing that (and paying) for multiple bags, go for it. If not, try some light-packing methods.

Additionally, there can be limited storage space for luggage. Even if your ticket includes one or two bags, that doesn't actually mean there's space for everyone to bring that. This is especially true if you're taking a direct high-speed train from an airport in Europe where everyone is arriving from further afield and likely has a bag or two. Your suitcase won't be left behind, but you could end up in an uncomfortable (if comical) situation where you are standing with your bag in the aisle or near the doors. Also, ensure yours is labeled. For peace of mind, first of all, but it's also required in most countries with most carriers.

Not Validating The Ticket

It is clear that buying a ticket is necessary and might need to be booked quite far in advance. If you don't do so, you could face steep fines no matter where you ride the rails. However, a lesser-known or often forgotten fact is that in Europe, your ticket frequently needs to be validated before departure. This is an extra step that is not always required in North America, so make sure to do your due diligence before boarding the train.

If this little detail slips your mind before arriving at the station, don't stress, as tickets can often be validated up until the last minute. You'll see signs and little machines around the station indicating whether or not it's required. Usually, all you do is stick your paper ticket into the validation slot, and voilà, you're all set to travel. Alternatively, tapping your ticket (electronic or paper) on a card reader can also validate it. The required form of validation will usually be listed somewhere on your confirmation email. With the increased use of e-tickets and app-loaded tickets, validation is less common than it once was but crucial where required.

Not Bringing ID

You need a valid (and validated) ticket or rail pass to board and travel, but what can often be forgotten is that you often (although not always) also need to show a valid form of identification along with your ticket. This is so the conductor and rail workers can confirm you're the person listed on the ticket and of the age indicated because youths and seniors often receive discounts. It's not always asked for, but it's good to have on you should it be requested.

Depending on the company, ID can be a passport, driver's license, or national ID. If traveling outside your country of nationality, have your passport and visa (if applicable) and/or residence card if it differs from your citizenship. If you're a student, bring a school ID with you, as it'll be asked for if you purchased a student ticket, which often means significant discounts. Minors don't need a form of ID, but the adult listed on the reservation typically does.

Not Downloading The App

We know, we know, we're all sick of needing an app for everything. But, in this case, there is often an excellent reason. The rail company's app, like airline apps, usually has the most up-to-date information regarding your journey. The app will alert you via a mobile notification and an email if your train is delayed, canceled, or has a change in platform. Sure, you can also find out this information upon arrival at the station, but if there's a long delay (or cancelation), it's much nicer to find out before you trek all the way there.

Apps are also quickly becoming the most common way to receive tickets and are the easiest way to make a change to your itinerary if needed. There will also typically be additional details provided, such as the location of your particular car (where seats are assigned), the direction of the train (essential in the case of "choose your own seat" tickets to ensure you face forward), and whether or not food, Wi-Fi, and other amenities are provided.

Not Familiarizing Yourself With The Route

It's always a good idea to have at least a cursory awareness of your route . This goes beyond where you board and get off. You should also know the estimated time you expect to be on the train and a few of the stops that precede yours. Why? To avoid stressing about missing your stop or if it's coming up soon. This way, you'll know when you're close. Announcements are usually made a few minutes before arriving at a stop. That's when you should gather your things and move towards the door, as stops are generally brief.

And even if the announcements aren't in English, you can usually understand the stop names. What is becoming increasingly common worldwide is for announcements to be made in the local language (or languages) first before being repeated in English. However, this is only sometimes the case. When in doubt, ask the conductors or a fellow passenger.

Not Paying Attention To Strikes

These are more common in Europe than in other parts of the world, although not unheard of elsewhere. Strikes are typically announced in advance, as well as information about routes and specific trains affected. The time frame can vary, from months and weeks ahead of time to just a few days. Make sure to monitor if your itinerary could be affected if strikes are announced. If your train is canceled, rebook as quickly as possible, as alternatives can be sold out quickly.

Last-minute rebookings can be expensive due to limited availability. In this case, don't forget to check alternatives like buses (Flixbus has a broad range of international options) and rideshares such as BlahBlahCar, which can be a great help. In the case of a route cancelation, passengers often get the option to change to another train or receive a full refund. If not, check the company's policy and see what options are available.

Not Following Train Etiquette

To avoid less-than-friendly interactions with your fellow passengers, pay attention and follow the local train culture. Often, outside the U.S., people talk at a much lower volume, especially on public transportation. And, out of basic politeness, you should always wear headphones when listening to audio or a call. In many places worldwide, you may even need to step out to make a phone call.

In France , for example, train staff will make announcements on the subject and signs direct passengers to designated areas for phone calls. Many places around the world, likewise, have dining carts for the sole purpose of not having people eating on other parts of the train. In some parts of the world, it's actually against the law (not just rude or annoying) to sit in someone else's spot. For female passengers, many countries like Egypt and Japan offer female-only cars for the comfort and safety of those taking the railways. Not adhering to the norm while taking the train is one of the most common but least obvious mistakes travelers make when on board. Don't be that obnoxious tourist, and do a bit of research before your trip to ensure a smooth journey.

Read the original article on Explore .

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This East Coast State Just Got Its First Railbike Route — and It's Filled With Waterfall Views

An old railway in West Virginia is now the site of a railbiking adventure.

Evie Carrick is a writer and editor who’s lived in five countries and visited well over 50. She now splits her time between Colorado and Paris, ensuring she doesn't have to live without skiing or L'As du Fallafel.

Courtesy of West Virginia Department of Tourism

For over 60 years, the Buffalo Creek and Gauley Railroad transported coal and lumber along Buffalo Creek in West Virginia. The railroad was one of the last all-steam holdouts , operating until early 1965. Now, a new tour operator is breathing new life into the railway with a fleet of railbikes that run on the rails and have an electric assist.

Rail Explorers — which already operates railbike tours in California, New York, Rhode Island, Kentucky, and Iowa — opened a new location in Clay, West Virginia. The 12-mile round-trip route runs along Elk River and Buffalo Creek and through the lush woodlands of West Virginia .

Highlights include a wrecked train car and high cliffs, along with the Devil’s Sawmill Waterfall, which has long been a local gem and was recently added to the West Virginia Waterfall Trail . 

The railbikes travel on the track for six miles before reaching a creekside picnic area where they turn around on the bank of Buffalo Creek and head back to the starting point.

The route is great for groups as each bike accommodates two or four people with an electric assist. Bikes have a custom-built electric motor and hydraulic disc brakes.

“This unforgettable outdoor adventure combines the tranquility of nature with the thrill of railbiking and magic of the railroad,” Mary Joy Lu, Rail Explorers CEO, said in a press release shared with Travel + Leisure . “We are incredibly excited to bring Rail Explorers to Clay, WV. The beauty of this area is unmatched — we are so proud to re-activate this historic railroad that has been a lifeline in the community for over 100 years. This two-hour, eco-friendly activity is fully accessible to people of all ages and abilities, making this a perfect activity for families, friends, and solo explorers.”

The route complements the opening of the nearby Elk River Trail in 2019 . The trail, which remains the newest addition to the West Virginia State Parks system, stretches for over 73 miles and provides easy access to the Elk River, a popular waterway for canoeing, kayaking, and fishing.

"We’ve seen an incredible boost to the area since opening the Elk River Trail, and it’s just fantastic to see that success expand even further with the addition of Rail Explorers to our state’s growing tourism economy,” Gov. Jim Justice said in the press release.

The Rail Explorers’ railbike tours in West Virginia operate Thursday through Monday with multiple departure times. A tandem railbike for up to two riders is $80, while a quad railbike for up to four riders is $160. The journey takes 2 hours. Clay County residents are eligible for discounted rides on “Locals’ Days.”

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Ukraine war latest: US raises threat level at European military bases; British volunteer medic dies in Ukraine

British volunteer medic Peter Fouche has died while fighting for Ukraine, his charity has confirmed. The Foreign Office has also said it is "supporting the family of a British man". Elsewhere, rapper Kanye West has reportedly travelled to Moscow on a private visit.

Monday 1 July 2024 22:00, UK

• Big picture:  What you need to know this week
• British volunteer medic dies in Ukraine  
• US raises threat level at European military bases
• Ukraine to let murderers into army as prisoners offered freedom
• Kanye West 'makes surprise visit to Moscow'
• Explained : What's happening on new Kharkiv front?
• Your questions answered : Has the West been honest about Ukraine's failures?
• Listen to the Daily above and tap here to follow wherever you get your podcasts

We'll be back tomorrow with more updates on the Ukraine war.

As we reported earlier, the governor of Russia's Belgorod region has said a civilian was killed after Ukraine shelled an agricultural facility (see post at 1.33pm).

In a later update, Vyacheslav Gladkov said on Telegram that a new wave of Ukrainian shelling had wounded seven people in and close to the city of Belgorod. 

More than 20 homes are said to have been damaged.

Ukrainian drones attacked the border town of Shebekino, injuring two people there, Mr Gladkov said.

Sky News is unable to verify these reports.

Belgorod, which borders Ukraine's Kharkiv region, has come under regular attack from Ukrainian forces since Russia invaded its neighbour in February 2022.

As we reported earlier (5.51pm post), the Russian-appointed governor of the Crimean port of Sevastopol has claimed Russia shot down aerial targets over Crimea on Monday.

The number reported earlier was four - that has now risen to five. 

Fragments of the downed targets are said to have fallen in the coastal area and near Balaklava, which is a part of Sevastopol.

Mikhail Razvozhayev, posting on his Telegram channel, said there were no injuries.

A number of fires were reported in forested and open areas, while windows were smashed in one building, he said.

Ukrainian servicemen have been launching a Furia drone to fly over Russian frontline positions in Donetsk, eastern Ukraine.

The Furia made its first flight in 2014 and was commissioned by the Ukrainian armed forces in 2020.

Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny, is to chair the US-based Human Rights Foundation (HRF).

The HRF campaigns against authoritarian leaders around the world as well as providing humanitarian aid to Ukraine.

Alexei Navalny died at the age of 47 in an Arctic prison in February after being sentenced to long jail terms on fraud and extremism charges.

He, the West and his supporters said the charges were politically motivated. 

Mrs Navalnaya , who does not live in Russia, said she was "deeply honoured" to be offered the role with the HRF, describing herself as "someone who has personally witnessed the threat dictatorships pose to our loved ones and the world at large".

Her appointment will allow the Anti-Corruption Foundation, founded by her late husband, to share its experience in conducting high-profile investigations and organising the work of activists more widely, she added.

The US military has increased security protection measures at its bases across Europe.

The threat level is being raised to "Charlie" - the second-highest level for service members.

It is activated when an "incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating that some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely".

US officials said a combination of events had led to the move.

These include elections in the UK and France, the forthcoming Paris Olympics, other major sporting events, and the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.

Service members and their families should maintain a lower profile and be extra aware of their surroundings, one official said.

The Russian-appointed governor of the Crimean port of Sevastopol says Russia has shot down four aerial targets over Crimea.

Mikhail Razvozhayev made the comments on his Telegram channel. 

Fragments of the downed targets are said to have fallen in the coastal area and near Balaklava, which is part of the Sevastopol agglomeration. 

Images have been released of a National Prayer Breakfast held in Kyiv over the weekend.

The event was attended by 836 people from 15 countries, including representatives of 12 denominations, Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office said.

The president was there, alongside Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, members of parliament, church leaders, volunteers, chaplains, military personnel, veterans and athletes.

Mr Zelenskyy said the gathering comprised people with different views who were united by the desire to "ensure a true victory of good over evil for Ukraine", his office said.

Participants were addressed by the speaker of the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, and former US vice president Mike Pence.

Mr Pence said the Ukrainian people had resisted invasion by a nation four times larger than it in population and 10 times more economically powerful.

A similar event is held every year in Washington DC.

Russia has been asked to stop interfering with European satellite systems - with air traffic control said to have been endangered.

Last week a UN body - the International Telecommunications Union (ITU)  - reviewed a series of complaints from Ukraine and four European Union countries - France, the Netherlands, Sweden and Luxembourg - about alleged interference in recent months.

They claimed GPS signals had been jammed, air traffic control compromised and children's TV channels interrupted to show violent images of the Ukraine war.

The ITU, based in Geneva, "expressed its grave concern regarding the use of signals to cause intentional harmful interference".

It added that disruptions to French and Swedish satellite networks "seemed to originate from earth station(s) located in the areas of Moscow, Kaliningrad and Pavlovka".

It described the incidents as "extremely worrisome and unacceptable" and has asked Russia to stop immediately and to investigate.

The ITU has also suggested a meeting between Russia and the affected countries.

Moscow has denies breaking ITU rules.

It has also complained about alleged satellite interference by NATO countries - something not included in last week's ITU meeting.

An intact guidance system from a long-range, US-made ATACMS missile has been captured by Russian forces, Russia's RIA state news agency has reported.

Video footage released by RIA showed an unidentified individual, his face concealed by a balaclava, examining what he said was part of an Army Tactical Missile Systems weapon.

He shows labels on the back of the missile's GPS guidance system, indicating it came from a US army store in Alabama. 

Capturing the hardware allows Russia to study how the missiles are controlled during flight, he said.

Sky News is unable to verify the footage.

Washington began to supply Ukraine with ATACMS several months ago.

They can hit targets up to 186 miles away - roughly double the range of the HIMARS systems that the United States began sending to Ukraine in 2022.

Moscow has described the supply of such weapons as an escalatory move.

Russia claims the US helps Ukrainian troops to fire them - something Washington denies. 

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Vladimir Putin gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a 2nd luxury armored limo — check it out

• Russian President Vladimir Putin made his first to North Korea in 24 years.
• Putin gifted North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a second Aurus Senat limousine during the visit.
• Putin uses an Aurus as his official state car.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un took a Russian-made Aurus Senat limousine for a spin during the Russian President's first visit to Pyongyang in 24 years .

The drive offered the leaders an opportunity to showcase their strengthening relationship, which Kim said on Wednesday had reached "a new high of alliance."

Video footage shared on Telegram showed Putin behind the wheel of the Aurus, which he also gifted to his North Korean counterpart, Russian state media reported , citing Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov.

Putin gifted another Aurus to Kim in February of this year, adding to the leader's large collection of luxury vehicles, which also includes a Maybach, a Mercedes-Benz, and a Rolls Royce — all of which were likely smuggled into the country in violation of UN sanctions, Reuters reported.

Putin is also said to have gifted Kim a tea set and a dagger during his recent visit.

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In return, Kim presented Putin with artworks , which Ushakov hinted were "related to the image" of the president.

Russia's answer to "The Beast"

The Aurus Senat was unveiled in 2018 by the State Research Center of the Russian Federation. It is used as Putin's official state car.

According to the Aurus Motors website, the Senat limousine is "the embodiment of the dignity and power inherent in the Russian character. A car that combines excellent driving performance, immaculate comfort and unrivalled passenger safety."

The vehicle is powered by a 598 horsepower, 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V-8 engine and can go from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds. It has a top speed of around 155 mph.

Like the US president's Cadillac state car — which is nicknamed "The Beast" — the Russian Senat is bulletproof and bombproof . The Aurus can also be fully submerged in water and has steel-reinforced tires.

The Aurus Motors website describes the Aurus Senat as "the most protected luxury car in the world."

In 2021, Reuters reported that an Aurus with basic features would cost 18 million rubles, which is just over $200,000 today.

A senior Russian official said last month that Russia would start producing Aurus cars at a former Toyota factory in Saint Petersburg later this year, Russian state news agency TASS reported .

In September 2022, Toyota announced that it had decided to stop vehicle production in its Saint Petersburg plant "due to the interruption in supply of key materials and parts."

Watch: Inside Kim Jong Un's bulletproof train loaded with weapons and 'lady conductors'

• Main content

Putin gets a pair of North Korean hunting dogs after defense pact with dictator Kim

SEOUL, South Korea − North Korean leader Kim Jong Un gave Russian President Vladimir Putin a pair of Pungsan dogs, a local breed, state media KCNA reported Thursday as the two nations pledged mutual defense against the U.S.

Kim and Putin were seen looking at the dogs, who were tethered to a rose-covered fence, during a segment aired on state-controlled Korean Central Television on Thursday.

The two bonded over animals as Kim fed carrots to a horse while Putin patted its head. They also took turns driving each other around in a Russian-built Aurus limousine on Wednesday.

The canine gift came after Putin and Kim signed a mutual defense pact on Wednesday that included cooperation on nuclear energy, space exploration, food and energy security, one of Moscow's highest-profile moves in Asia in years. Putin visited China last month , soon after his inauguration for a fifth term as president.

"In case any one of the two sides is put in a state of war by an armed invasion from an individual state or several states, the other side shall provide military and other assistance with all means in its possession without delay," Article 4 of the agreement says.

More: A new, Cold War-like agenda? Kim Jong Un gives Putin 'full support' for Ukraine war

Washington and Seoul have been increasingly alarmed by deepening military cooperation between Russia and the North, and have accused them of violating international laws by trading in arms for Russia to use against Ukraine . Ukrainian officials have said they have found North Korean missile debris inside their country. Russia and North Korea deny any arms trade.

Kim, a horseman, was famously pictured riding a white stallion in North Korea's Mount Paektu during snowfall in photos released by state media in 2019, flooding the internet with memes.

He was seen riding a white horse again in a propaganda video in 2022.

More: 'Concerning escalation': Russia used North Korean ballistic missiles against Ukraine

The horses Kim rode are symbolic for North Korea, which named its economic effort to recover from the 1950-53 Korean War after the mythical winged horse Chollima. The country's latest rocket booster is also named Chollima-1.

Putin, who prizes his sporty image, has also been pictured shirtless several times in photos released by Russian state media, including one set in which he rode a brown horse while wearing wrap-around sunglasses, a gold chain and army trousers.

Pungsans are a breed of hunting dogs native to a region in northern North Korea.

Former South Korean president Moon Jae-in also received a pair of white Pungsans − named "Gomi" and "Songgang" − from Kim in 2018 during a breakthrough in inter-Korean relations.

In 2022, a freight train carrying 30 gray thoroughbred horses heading to North Korea departed Russia's far east through the Khasan-Tumangan crossing, according to Russia's veterinary service, in what appeared to be the first reported train shipment between the two countries post-pandemic.