Wow! 224th SFS An-124 CONDOR RA-82030 just 'popped up' and is en route to K-Grad.

On 10 Oct Il-96PU CAMBER Airborne Command Post RA-96025 RSD233 took off from Moscow (VKO) and flew to St P-Burg (LED), took off and flew south when tracking dropped. Putin is still in Dushanbe TJK and that is likely where RA-96025 went.

Those who follow my posts know that I have posted extensively on the Il-76MD-90A CANDID RA-78650. This aircraft was marketed in the Middle East as an Il-76MD-90AE, with the ‘E’ being for export.

On 09 Oct Algerian Air Force Il-76TD CANDID 7T-WIA flew from Algiers DZA (via European airspace) to Moscow (VKO). This is interesting!

SFS Il-62M CLASSIC RA-86495 returned from Caracas VEN on 08 Oct and flew to Algiers DZA. It departed and flew to Moscow on 09 Oct.

On 08 Oct Tu-204 VIP RA-64059 RSD844 took off from Moscow (VKO), flew east and just entered PRK airspace with a likely destination of Pyongyang.

SFS An-124 CONDOR RA-82040 resurfaces again. On 08 Oct the aircraft was southbound over RUS and likely stopped at Mineral’nye Vody for 6+ hours. It is now airborne and southbound. I was expecting another trip to IRN but the CONDOR appears to be en route to Africa.

Putin is going to TJK. SFS Il-96 CAMBER RA-96023 RSD197 arrived in Dushanbe. Il-96PU CAMBER Airborne Command Post RA-96024 RSD411 is en route. x.com/tassagency_e...

On 07 Oct Tu-204 VIP RA-64059 RSD500 Il-96PU CAMBER Airborne Command Posts RA-96022 RSD555 & RA-96024 (one of Putin’s aircraft) RSD801 flew from Moscow to St P-Burg. Putin held a meeting there boasting about how well the ‘Special Military Operation’ in UKR is going: www.reuters.com/world/europe...

On 06 Oct 224th Special Flight Squadron An-124 CONDOR RA-82040 took off from Irkutsk and is possibly en route to IRN to deliver more MiG-29 FULCRUM.

Lithuania's Vilnius Airport reopens after unknown balloon sightings halt flights over the weekend. www.abc.net.au/news/2025-10...

On 04 Oct Pouya Air Il-76TD CANDID EP-PUS flew from Tehran into and out of Nashik IND. Later it was tracked flying southeast over ARM, likely from Gyumri. This is a pattern of flights that have been going on for some time are likely connected with the transport of drones/drone components.

This is likely connected with the flight to Moscow by Air Koryo Il-62M CLASSIC P-881 on 30 Sep – 01 Oct. Russia Further Honours North Korean Forces Amid Major Wartime Support. militarywatchmagazine.com/article/russ...

On 04 Oct Il-96PU Airborne Command Post RA-96025 RSD431 likely with Putin on board departed Sochi and is probably headed back to Moscow or St P-Burg.

On 25 Sep 224th SFS An-124 CONDOR RA-82040 flew from Ulyanovsk (maintenance hub) to Irkutsk. On 27 Sep it departed and was last tracked flying south over the Caspian Sea. I thought at the time that IRN might be the destination and I think it even more now.

So it appears that Putin flew to Sochi on 02 Oct on Il-96PU CAMBER Airborne Command Posts RA-96025 RSD431. www.euronews.com/2025/10/03/p...

The joint RUS-LAO military drill LAROS-2025 was held in LAO from 19-25 Sep and troops/equipment were transported on the 224th SFS Il-76MD CANDID RA-78844 to Vientiane LAO. The CANDID departed Vientiane on 27 Sep and was next tracked on 01 Oct flying west and landing at Novosibirsk.

The likely transportation of drones/drone components from CHN to RUS continues by Volga-Dnepr Airlines Il-76TD-90VD CANDID: RA-76503, RA-76950, RA-76951, RA-76952 & RA-76511.

On 02 Oct VKS Il-78M2 MIDAS tanker RF-94272 took off from Moscow (ZIA) and appeared to be setting up for something (like air-to-air refueling) but then stopped broadcasting. This aircraft was active in air-to-air refueling near Volgograd likely with bombers from Engels on 06 Sep.

Good explanations. Thank you!

On 01 Oct SFS Il-96 CAMBER RA-96023 RSD788 took off from Moscow (VKO) and flew to St P-Burg (LED). It departed after approximately two hours and is en route to New York USA. This aircraft recently returned from New York on 27 Sep.

On 30 Sep An-74D (RA-)74047 UGP9651 was tracked southbound over northern RUS likely coming from Rogachevo Airbase on Novaya Zemlya. This aircraft has possibly been there since 01 Sep and it is likely connected with the possible launch of a 9M730 Burevestnik (SSC-X-9 SKYFALL) from Novaya Zemlya.

On 30 Sep 223rd SFS Il-62M CLASSIC RA-86495 RFF7181 flew from Moscow (CKL) to Algiers DZA later taking off and flying south. It is likely carrying a Deputy Defense Minister (General Yunus-Bek Yevkurov?) and could be en route to MLI and connected to the recent flights there by An-124 CONDOR RA-82030.

On 27 Sep 224th SFS An-124 CONDOR RA-82030 RFF8383 flew from an unknown location in RUS (Mineral’nye Vody?) to Khmejmim Airbase SYR. It was next tracked departing Bamako MLI as RFF401 on 29 Sep flying east with a possible destination of Naimey BFA.

On 27 Sep 224th SFS An-124 CONDOR RA-82030 RFF8383 flew from an unknown location in RUS (Mineral’nye Vody?) to Khmejmim Airbase SYR. It was next tracked departing Bamako MLI as RFF401 on 29 Sep flying east with a possible destination of Naimey BFA.

On 30 Sep Air Koryo Il-62M CLASSIC P-881 took off (likely) from Pyongyang PRK and flew to Moscow (unknown airport). Russian media on 29 Sep said that Kim Jong Un was invited to Moscow by Putin but that a date for the visit had not been chosen. I think it was 30 Sep! tass.com/politics/202...

On 29 Sep Tu-214PU Airborne Command Posts RA-64531 RSD322 flew from Moscow (VKO) to Minsk (MSQ) BLR. It was followed later by Il-96PU CAMBER Airborne Command Posts RA-96025 RSD210 (one of Putin’s aircraft) and RA-96021 RSD112.

I guess this would explain the recent flights by 224th SFS Il-76MD CANDID RA-78844 to Vientiane LAO. Laos start joint military drill Laros-2025. www.aa.com.tr/en/world/rus...

On 28 Sep SFS Il-96 CAMBER RA-96018 RSD804 flew from Moscow to Hanoi VNM. On 14 Sep this aircraft flew to Ho Chi Minh City flying to Hanoi on 17 Sep. On 20 Sep it flew back to Moscow.

On 27 Sep 224th Special Flight Squadron An-124 CONDOR RA-82040 was last tracked flying south over the Caspian Sea with tracking dropping just before it flew into IRN. Tracking recommenced on 28 Sep with the CONDOR flying north over the Caspian Sea.

On 27 Sep Iranian Government A321 EP-IGD IRAN07 (Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council) departed Tehran and flew to Beirut LBN. It departed and is now en route back, likely to Tehran. www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/0...

On 13 Sep 224th SFS Il-76MD CANDID RA-78844 flew from an unknown location (probably in eastern RUS) to Vientiane LAO. The aircraft departed the next day likely flying back to the Russian Far East. It was next tracked on 16 Sep westbound over RUS and on 17 Sep flying to a location in southern RUS.

On 26 Sep Special Flight Squadron Il-62M RA-86559 flew from Moscow (CKL) to Algiers DZA. The aircraft departed on 27 Sep and flew back to RUS. The fact that this aircraft avoided Tunisian airspace on the inbound and outbound flights suggests someone was onboard that did not want to fly over TUN.

Not tracked since 16 Jul, on 27 Sep 223rd Special Flight Squadron Il-76MD CANDID RA-78840 took off from Moscow (SVO) and flew to Khmejmim Airbase SYR. Again, note the ‘let down’ over water to mitigate the chances of being shot down by a SAM.

I haven’t really done much with ships other than watch what (if anything) is tracked in the Arctic north of RUS, but I did notice that this ‘unknown’ vessel is traveling at 99 knots, but is not going anywhere.

On 26 Sep Il-76MD/Il-78MD-90A CANDID/MIDAS RA-78650 is airborne from Ulyanovsk as XAV78650 (Aviaprom Enterprises) and headed south. I am hoping we get a better look at what he is doing today!

On 25 Sep 224th Special Flight Squadron An-124 CONDOR RA-82040 took off from Ulyanovsk and flew to the Irkutsk area and landed, more likely at Belaya (Bomber) Airbase than at Irkutsk.

Seven people have died as a result of poisoning from counterfeit alcohol in Slantsy, Leningrad Region. Two more people were taken to the hospital with severe intoxication.

And a bit of more spoofing (haven’t we had enough today!). On 25 Sep Rada Airlines Il-62M CLASSIC EW-505TR took off from Orsha BLR and headed south over RUS. Tracking was spoofed to make it appear that it was approaching Ukrainian airspace. It was not.

On 24 Sep Il-76MD/Il-78MD-90A CANDID/MIDAS RA-78650 took off from Ulyanovsk as XAV78650 (Aviaprom Enterprises) flew south, disappeared for about 90 minutes and flew back to Ulyanovsk. On 25 Sep it again took off from Ulyanovsk as XAV78650 and flew south.

There have been spoofing flights by Il-76TD CANDID subordinate to Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (MChS) and some spoofing flights attributed to them; however, some of these flights, because of speed and altitude look more like a drone pretending to be a MChS aircraft.

More interesting flights by Fars Air Qeshm B747 EP-FAB. On 23 Sep it flew from Tehran IRN to Moscow (SVO). It departed later and flew back to Tehran. On 24 Sep flew to Bandar Abbas (IRN) and on 25 Sep it took off and flew to Entebee UGA.

The last few days there have been flights around St P-Burg and on the RUS-EST border by a Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MVD - МВД ) Mi-8AMT HIP RF-28067. This aircraft is active and tracked but has mostly been seen up north on the Kola Peninsula or along the RUS-FIN border.

On 24 Sep Armenian Air Force Il-76TD CANDID 76310 took off from Yerevan (EVN) and is headed south. On 18 Sep this aircraft was tracked leaving Mumbai IND. It was also in Mumbai on 31 Jul. This flight could be drone/drone component related.

On 21 Sep 224th SFS An-124 RA-82030 RFF8361 landed at Bamako MLI departing approximately 10 hours later flying east. I have no idea where it went next although it might have flown to Benghazi LBY.

On 24 Sep Il-76MD/Il-78MD-90A CANDID/MIDAS RA-78650 took off from Ulyanovsk as XAV78650 (Aviaprom Enterprises) and is southbound. This export version of the CANDID converted to also be a MIDAS tanker was last seen when it flew to DZA on 24 Aug and returned to RUS on 01 Sep.

Interesting flight by a Romanian Air Force An-30 Registration 1104 flying as OSY14F over POL. This aircraft is operated by the 902nd Operational Air Transport & Aerophotogrametric Squadron at the 90th Airlift Base Bucharest, ROU.

On 23 Sep SFS Il-96 CAMBER RA-96023 RSD308 (Russian Foreign Minister Sergej Lavrov) took off from Moscow (VKO) and is en route to New York USA for the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Tu-204 RA-64038 flying as XAV9024 (Aviaprom Enterprises) is making a test flight out of the Aviastar SP Factory at Ulyanovsk. This aircraft is 21 years old and has been in storage for some time.