Simply getting on a plane and crossing the Atlantic Ocean carefree is not an option for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (44) at the moment. His trip from US President Joe Biden (80) to the White House on Wednesday was therefore a top secret and carefully planned action.
Not without reason: Zelensky’s movements are closely monitored by Russia. So such a journey is dangerous.
Appropriate measures were therefore necessary. A direct departure from the Ukrainian capital Kiev was not possible for security reasons. So Zelensky made the first leg of his secret overland journey. Wednesday evening he took the train to Poland. In a video, he can be seen with US ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, 52, at the train station in the town of Przemysl, not far from the Ukrainian border.
NATO pilots controlled the North Sea area
The Ukrainian president then boarded a white SUV to drive in convoy to the airport in Rzeszów. The departure point is one of the main military hubs. American weapons end up there, which are later transported to Ukraine. A US Air Force Boeing C-40 waited for Selenski in Rzeszów. It had landed in Poland a few hours earlier, after a short flight from the Ramstein military base in Germany.
At 8:15 a.m., the American military transport left with Zelensky on board. As CNN writes, American security personnel were also present. Despite all the secrecy, aviation fans became aware of the plane. The aircraft with the number SAM910 was the most tracked aircraft on Flightradar 24 for a long time before it disappeared from the portal when it was already flying over the Atlantic Ocean.
But the Boeing C-40 was not the only machine in the sky. About an hour before Selenski flew over the North Sea, a NATO spy plane was sent to reconnoitre the area. Because Russian submarines patrol these waters, this route seemed the most dangerous, writes De Telegraaf.
F-15 fighter jet came in support
The spy Boeing had departed from Germany and accompanied Selenski’s plane on the way. As Selenski’s plane approached the North Sea, a US Air Force F-15 fighter jet took off from an air base in the UK as part of the escort mission. The F-15 fighter jet returned to its base in Mildenhall, England shortly after Selenski’s plane flew over Scotland.
After 6:00 PM Swiss time, the SAM910 and its Boeing landed at Joint Base Andrews military airfield in Maryland, about 12 miles from Washington.
After a short rest, Ukrainian President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden (71) met. Shortly before 11 p.m. Swiss time, the heads of state held a joint press conference. Biden praised Zelenskiy for his “unwavering commitment to Ukraine” and confirmed the delivery of the Patriot air force system. Next on Selenski’s agenda was the address to the Congress, where he was met with thunderous applause.
Is he on his way to Ukraine again?
Selenski then shared several videos from his visit to the US on Telegram. On Thursday morning, he also posted pictures of Ukrainian energy infrastructure workers and congratulated them on Energy Engineers Day.
It is not known whether he is still in the US or is already on his way to his war-torn homeland. This operation will also probably remain hidden until the end. (Man)