Putin travels so luxuriously in his special train Man finds snake in Aldi broccoli

When Russian President Vladimir Putin travels in his special train, he obviously lacks nothing. Because the Kremlin boss’s cars are extremely luxurious, new research shows. The London “Dossier Center”, founded by ex-oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky, together with international journalists, took a close look at the train – and found amazing things.

So far only exterior shots of the train have been shown, which is said to have cost 6.8 billion rubles (about 70 million euros). Details were now emerging. The president should have his own beauty salon on board. According to research, there is also a fitness studio in one of the wagons so that you can exercise on longer journeys. And another facility awaits the “chief passenger,” as the head of the train company, Vladimir Lulaev, would call Putin: a hammam – a Turkish bath.

The insight into the Putin train comes from plans of the Zirkon Service company, which, in addition to regular trains, also fulfills special requests – for example, from the Russian head of state. The detailed plans of the train would have been sent to the “Dossier Center”, together with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, the North and West German radio and the American broadcaster CNN, they were then evaluated and checked for authenticity. The luxury car would be completed in 2018 at Putin’s request.

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ventilator and defibrillator

The beauty salon should also serve as an emergency clinic: according to this, there is a ventilator, there is a device to clean the airways and a defibrillator. In addition, special instruments for dispensing medicines and a monitor for blood pressure, pulse and other important vital signs have been installed. There are also devices for beautifying the skin – with ultrasound or lymphatic drainage. The walls must be soundproof.

Right next to it is the fitness studio with a bench, a stepper and various devices to train the muscles. The manufacturer’s logo can be seen in the photos published by the “Dossier Center”: the American company Technogym, one of the market leaders – and not exactly cheap. They should have been replaced by products from the high-end American supplier Hoist. The Turkish bath, as shown in the photos, is equipped with a sofa, a sink and two showers.

Problems with the TV picture

To stay informed, there are also several televisions in the luxury wagon. One should even serve as a mirror. However, during tests, the screens went black again and again – apparently the satellite signal was not particularly stable. Bridges and large buildings in the area caused disruptions, according to test reports from the train company. A cache should help.

The heavily armored train with a total of 22 wagons with initially inconspicuous red and gray paintwork is pulled by several locomotives. This is to ensure that work continues even if a locomotive breaks down. Antennas on the roofs of the wagons indicate that there are extensive communication systems inside.

There are also carriages in which cars are parked that take the president and his retinue from the train station to their destination and even multiple restaurants and meeting rooms. However, the plans and documentation available to investigators failed to reveal details about the compartments in which Putin works or sleeps. According to the “Dossier Center”, the Zirkon company is currently installing a multimedia center and planning two more luxury cars – with multiple compartments and a bar.

Armor against bullets

According to the report, the armor of the normal cars should be able to deter rifle bullets. However, the area where Putin is staying will probably be reinforced – but the plans do not provide information about the thickness of the walls.

Part of the train is said to have been built during the time of the Soviet Union, after 2004 cars were still made for Putin. According to observations, ten wagons are usually used in addition to the locomotives. It is said that Putin prefers to travel by train – also for security reasons. Between Moscow and his hometown of St. Petersburg is his residence in Valdai, which is said to have a lone train station and a heliport nearby. (t-online, when)