Putin’s friend’s jet will serve as a barricade for the Ukrainian army at Kiev airport

A close friend of Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian billionaire Viktor Medvedchuk has not been viewed favorably in various spheres of Ukrainian society for some time, especially for supporting Russian influence in his country. That sentiment was heightened after Russia invaded Ukraine in February, and the tycoon has since gone into hiding.

Over the years, Medvedchuk has become Putin’s closest confidant in Ukraine. He is currently head of the pro-Russian political organization Ukrainian Choice and an opponent of the country’s membership of the European Union, as well as supporting pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Medvedchuk was even mentioned in the global media as a possible candidate for president of a Russian puppet government, had they succeeded in invading Kiev. Ukraine even put him under house arrest, but he managed to escape.

In his escape, however, Medvedchuk had to leave something valuable behind: his Gulfstream G650 business jet (registration T7-GEM), which was confiscated by Ukraine. The private jet is parked at Kiev-Zhuliany Airport.

In recent days, posts by people linked to Ukraine’s defense forces on social networks indicate that the business jet has gained a new job. In one, Oleksiy Danilov, secretary of Ukraine’s Security and National Defense Council, said the jet “will serve the country well”.

He explained what he meant by that. “If the Russians don’t give up their suicidal intentions, the Gulfstream will be the first thing they’ll find,” he said, noting that the jet was placed in the middle of the runway at the executive airport, as a kind of barricade to prevent Russian landing attempts or even to be bombed.

In the photos, published on Twitter, members of the army pose next to the aircraft, already parked on the airport runway.