How Vladimir Putin’s Aurus ended up in Alaska

The Russian president drives only domestically produced cars during his foreign visits. The Aurus motorcade is not only transportation, but also an element of the country’s prestige that accompanies Vladimir Putin around the world.

How the presidential motorcade is delivered abroad

The Special Purpose Garage has 15 premium armored cars. For foreign trips, there is no need to send the exact car used in Russia – the motorcade is formed from the vehicles available in the fleet.

Deliveries to neighboring countries are made by trains, and long distances, such as Alaska, are made by an Il-76 cargo plane of the Rossiya special detachment. On the way to the borders of the Russian Federation, the flight is escorted by Russian Air Force fighter jets, and then security in the air is taken over by the country hosting the delegation.

Why motorcade cars are covered with covers

There are mysterious elements to the procedure, too. After arriving at the venue in the dark, the cars are covered with protective covers until morning. Exactly why this is done is not officially disclosed. The cars are not inspected – by diplomatic status they are equal to diplomatic mail.

Number plate features

The license plates on presidential Aurus can vary depending on the country of visit. Sometimes the numbers of the local Russian consulate are used. Which license plate to install on a particular car is decided in conjunction with the special services of the host country.

The front license plate may be missing, a security measure pioneered by Stalin’s motorcade to make an assassination attempt more difficult. Rear license plates are left for the convenience of security guards.