When he is not traveling by plane in his country’s vast interior, the Russian president uses his private train for security and secrecy in his travels, especially after the start of the war in Ukraine.

It is an armored train and so luxurious that it overshadows even the legendary Orient Express.

According to an investigation by the Dossier Center, (in collaboration with CNN, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Westdeutscher Rundfunk and Norddeutscher Rundfunk), Putin’s private train cost the Russian people nearly 70 million euros.

In addition to the classic carriages-living rooms, dining rooms, offices, bedrooms, bathrooms, etc., among the comforts that the Russian president demands to enjoy on his travels are a gym, spa, hammam and facial treatment, as there is also a special center on the train cosmetic aesthetics (!).

train

train

There is also a movie theater and a hospital with extensive emergency medical equipment to deal with any problem that may arise.

The train is equipped with modern technology systems while the phones and internet service are protected by encryption hardware.

train

Putin’s train is also called a “ghost train”, as it looks like the rest of the Russian trains, so that it cannot be detected.

Not so much… armored

But it seems that while one might expect Putin’s train to be an “impregnable fortress,” the president’s safety is far from assured.

As stated by a journalist who participated in the investigation of the Dossier Center, the armor on the train does not provide protection against serious threats (such as a bomb) but only protects against gunfire.

train

“In addition, the special communication systems installed inside the train are hopelessly out of date,” Ilya Rozhdestvensky told Newsweek.

“In other words, all privacy and security were sacrificed for the sake of luxury,” the reporter concluded.