US President Donald Trump’s secret switch from Air Force One to another aircraft on a Turkish tarmac may have stunned the world. But when it comes to hiding a president’s movements, Russia has taken secrecy to an entirely different level.
The condition of plants visible in Putin’s offices appeared to change in ways that did not match the dates announced for his meetings. Leaked documents have described an armoured presidential train disguised as an ordinary passenger service, reportedly equipped with a gym, spa and secure communications systems. Even Putin’s motorcades have become the subject of speculation.
For years, journalists trying to track Russian President Vladimir Putin have had to look for clues in the strangest places, even the plants in his offices, according to a report by The New York Times . Mikhail Rubin, a Russian investigative reporter, said that Trump’s secret swap was “child’s play” compared to Russia. A former Russian security service officer said Putin used trains to avoid being tracked. Rubin said his experience covering the Kremlin taught him something even more fundamental about Putin’s public image, “that Putin’s public image is made up, it’s an absolute lie from beginning to end. Some in Moscow believe convoys racing through the capital may sometimes be decoys, according to the report.
Earlier this year, reporters studying televised Kremlin meetings noticed something unusual.
