Kremlin says Putin’s aircraft ‘very reliable’ after crashes killed leaders in Iran, Malawi

Kremlin spokesman commented on aviation accidents that claimed the lives of Iran’s president in May and Malawi’s vice-president on Monday

Reading Time:2 minutes

Russian President Vladimir Putin flying over Syria in 2020. File photo: Sputnik via AP

Published: 12:17pm, 12 Jun 2024Updated: 12:21pm, 12 Jun 2024

A Kremlin spokesman said Russia’s leader, Vladimir Putin, won’t get caught in a plane crash if he travels on domestic aircraft, state news agency Tass reported.

“The Russian president uses domestic aircraft. These are very reliable vehicles,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Tuesday.

Peskov was speaking at a press briefing when he was asked about the recent aviation accidents that claimed the lives of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima.

Raisi was flying over northwestern Iran when his helicopter crashed on May 19. Iran’s foreign minister, the governor of Iran’s East Azerbaijan province, and other officials were also on board the helicopter. No one survived the deadly incident.

Workers load a helicopter with body bags believed to be those of Malawi’s Vice-President Saulos Chilima and others killed in a plane crash. Photo: Zambia Air Force via Reuters

Chilima, meanwhile, was killed in a plane crash along with nine other passengers on Tuesday. Malawi’s President Lazarus Chakwera said Chilima’s plane was found “completely destroyed” near a hill in northern Malawi.

However, Peskov said such incidents were unlikely to occur with Russian aircraft, given what he said were Russia’s rigorous safety standards.