Russian President Vladimir Putin ‘clandestinely’ visits Saudi Arabia, skipping vulnerable, hostile zones en route

In one of the rarest trips abroad since the beginning of the Ukraine war, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Saudi Arabia on December 6, 2023, after visiting the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This visit is one of the few trips made by President Putin after the USSR since the Ukraine invasion, with previous trips to China and Iran highlighting Moscow’s interest and intent to strengthen its role in the Middle East.

Details of the Visit

During his visit, Vladimir Putin met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman to discuss enhanced collaboration on oil prices as members of the OPEC+ group. As reported by a spokesperson of the Kremlin, this meeting reflects the ongoing coordination between Russia and Saudi Arabia, which the crown Prince commended for easing tensions in the Middle East. The discussions between  President Putin and Crown Prince Salman, who is effectively in charge of the world’s top and leading oil exporter, were swiftly organised after Putin’s visit to UAE.

Kremin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, as cited by Russian media, emphasised the continued cooperation with the OPEC+ comprising the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries and Russian-led allies.

Putin Skirts War Zones

Vladimir Putin’s journey to the Arab world was marked by a flight path that strategically avoided flying over several regions where Russia had been involved in conflicts in recent years. As per a media agency, radar data revealed that the plane RA-96024, operated by Rossiya Airlines and known for transporting top officials, left Moscow just before 8:30 PM on December 6, 2023.

The aeroplane initially headed to the southeast, disappearing from the radar near Tula, 200 miles from the Ukrainian border. When he reappeared on the radar at around 1:20 AM the same day it reached Grozny, the capital of Chechnya and circumvented Georgia by over a hundred miles, it flew over Iran and avoided Syrian airspace, before landing in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE.

The plane’s radar signal was offline while west of Ukraine, leaving its exact route unclear during this part of the trip. However, before and after this period, it stayed away from Ukraine and moved considerably from the Ukrainian Border.

This avoidance comes in the context of Ukraine’s use of US US-supplied ATACMS missiles since October, which have a range of 190 miles, and Volodymyr Zelensky, the President of Ukraine has expressed utmost and special willingness to target Putin, citing Russian attempts on his life. Putin also faces an international arrest warrant due to the 2022 invasion of Ukraine.