What is top-secret Russian ‘Doomsday Plane’ that was raided by thieves?

Team Udayavani, Dec 10, 2020, 3:08 PM IST

A top-secret military aircraft known as the ‘Doomsday Plane’, which was recently raided by thieves, is designed to carry top officials in the event of a nuclear attack.

The Ilyushin Il-80 plane can take off from any civil or military airfield, according to state media. It has a powerful engine, modern communication facilities and can remain airborne for several days.

The aircraft was modified from a Soviet jet airliner during the late Cold War to serve as an aerial command post for top officials to control their troops during a crisis.

President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the breach as an “emergency situation” and vowed that “measures will be taken to prevent this from happening in the future.”

According to Reuters, Police said the aircraft had been at an aerodrome in the city of Taganrog, but gave no details about the nature of the stolen equipment except for its estimated worth — more than 1 million roubles ($13,600)

Russian military experts speculated that the items had been stolen because some of the units had been assembled using precious metals such as gold and platinum.