The highly secretive, some might say paranoid Putin typically travels by train now that his plane could be shot out of the sky but details about the contents of the train’s 20-odd cars, however, have been a closely guarded state secret secret — until now.
According to a former engineer and captain who defected from the country last year and was interviewed under extreme secrecy, 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 in the interview, which was recorded last December. “The train, it is used in order to somehow hide these movements.”
Now photos of the armored train have been leaked online, showing a gym, spa, beauty equipment, Turkish bath, an onboard mobile hospital, and other luxury accommodations.
Called a ‘ghost train’ because it is never listed on the timetables or in the Russian Railway systems, the crew is said to be ready at all times and are quarantined.
According to train experts, it’s as luxurious as you might expect and paid for by Russian taxpayers.
