Machine-Gun Pickup Escorts Putin Convoy in Vladivostok
Videos shared by Russian Telegram channels show a heavily guarded presidential motorcade traveling from Vladivostok airport, with a pickup apparently carrying an anti-aircraft machine gun. Troops and military vehicles were positioned along the route, while residents reported major traffic disruption as Putin arrived on Wednesday for the Eastern Economic Forum.
A pickup truck, possibly equipped with an anti-aircraft machine gun, trailed Russian President Vladimir Putin's motorcade upon his arrival in Vladivostok on September 2, 2023. Ukrainian Telegram channel ASTRA reported footage of the presidential convoy near Vladivostok airport, though the authenticity of the footage and the type of weapon shown could not be independently verified by Kyiv Post.
The armed pickup was seen traversing among the vehicles in the presidential convoy. Military personnel and equipment were also stationed along the highway connecting the airport with Vladivostok. Residents expressed complaints about traffic congestion due to road closures on local chat platforms. Russian authorities did not divulge the rationale behind the security deployment nor its duration.
TASS, the Russian state news agency, noted that Putin had journeyed to Vladivostok to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) and engage in discussions about Russia's Far Eastern Federal District development. The forum, lasting four days from Tuesday to Friday, was anticipated to attract more than 5,000 participants from 80 countries, as reported by Xinhua.
This heightened security deployment follows a series of Ukrainian long-range drone attacks on Russian military, energy, and industrial targets. Ukraine has intensified the range and intensity of these assaults, with a July incursion involving over 400 drones allegedly aimed at Moscow and its vicinity. The New York Times, on August 12, 2023, disclosed that Putin had been increasingly limiting his movements as Ukrainian drones expanded their reach into Russian territory.
The Kremlin may employ decoy presidential motorcades to obscure Putin's whereabouts, while the leader often travels in a specially armored train equipped with secure communication systems. Reports suggest that dedicated railway infrastructure has been constructed near several of Putin's residences. "Putin in this sense is a caricature of a figure who has taken everything happening around him to the point of absurdity," commented investigative journalist Mikhail Rubin to the New York Times.
The Kremlin has not confirmed whether the security measures in Vladivostok were linked to Ukrainian drone threats or that Putin was traveling in the motorcade displayed in the videos.
Written by urgent.news from Kyiv Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
