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The plane carrying the President took off from Chkalovsky Airfield where Mr Putin arrived following his visit to the Moscow aerospace salon (MAKS-2005) in Zhukovsky.

Before the flight on board the Tu-160, Mr Putin went through pre-flight preparation and a medical check up, put on a flight uniform and received instructions on the safety and ejection systems.

Two bombers took off from Chkalovsky Airfield and headed for the area where exercises involving the Air Force long-range aviation and the Northern Fleet were taking place. Deputy Commander of Long-Range (strategic) Aviation Major-General Anatoly Zhikharev piloted the plane carrying the President. The crew also included two navigator-operators, Colonel Vladimir Adamov and Lieutenant-Colonel Oleg Baranov. Mr Putin took the place of the bomber’s commander.

Commander of the 37th Air Army Lieutenant-General Igor Khvorov piloted the second bomber.

During their flight, the two Tu-160 bombers fired missiles, refuelled in mid-air and flew at ultrasonic speed. All four missiles fired from the planes hit their targets.

The Tu-160 bombers, including the aircraft with the President on board, landed in the evening at Olenegorsk Airfield in Murmansk Region.