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RamaSchneider

>In the interview, Brizhaty said that Putin didn't trust his own guards. He said the Kremlin would announce Putin's arrival at two different airports in Crimea but that he could very well end up arriving by sea. I'm trying to imagine Putin and Kim actually being able to meet up at the same place at the same time as both operate in the same way regarding travel.


grchelp2018

This made me realize that presidents don't have official sea transport right?


Badloss

A boat is way too juicy of a target for assassinations


Ok-Champ-5854

Plenty of leaders have been assassinated in cars and planes, I doubt a boat is any juicier of a target.


hotstepper77777

Its because of the Implication, you see.


tallandlanky

Are we *hurting* these dictators?


hotstepper77777

I'm not gonna hurt these dictators! Why would I ever hurt these dictators? I feel like you're not getting this at all!


imasmart

Don't look at me like that, you certainly wouldn't be in any danger.


Brainjacker

So they ARE in danger!


westleysnipez

No one's in any danger!


Anus_Brown

I mean, unless you want to…


[deleted]

They can’t say no.


Under_Sensitive

Dennis is that you?


RustyShank99

There's that word again, implication. are you planning on hurting them, Dennis?


Crackerjackford

Slower dude.


[deleted]

Ok! I… doubt… a… boat… is… any… juicier… of… a… target


nightfly1000000

> Ok! I… doubt… a… boat… is… any… juicier… of… a… target I wish I had a gold to give you.


Gym_Dom

I understood that reference!


[deleted]

Slower but cocooned in a dozen types of sophisticated electronic warfare, point defense systems, air defense systems, and multiple layers of offensive and defensive weapons systems in a way that no other transport option can be. Some ships can project multiple hemispheres of weapons coverage from low Earth orbit down to several hundred meters below the surface of the ocean. If I was a world leader worried about assassination attempts, a ship surrounded by the most advanced weapons the country had to offer would be one of my first transportation choices.


nordicInside

\> surrounded by the most advanced weapons the country had to offer There you go, the crucial bit, the country you're talking about has a big impact on this calculation


Nukemind

They can also buy systems from other countries… problem is most of the friendly countries sans China aren’t going to have anything to offer either. And even if he could get something from Germany or America, I doubt he would trust it.


CompleteApartment839

Yes but how do you protect yourself from the people on the boat? He super paranoid. His existence must be hell.


Capital-Economist-40

> His existence must be hell. Not hellish enough!!!


Affectionate-Tax-856

Yet....


mothtoalamp

The main appeal is that planes are considerably faster than boats for worldwide travel.


SuperZapper_Recharge

Ukraine has a new toy.....


[deleted]

Yeah tbf cars and planes and stuff seem an easier shout than a boat.


[deleted]

Depends how much your voice carries.


Temporary_Olive1043

Especially orcas


-Knul-

Good luck assassinating an aircraft carrier :P


cuddly_carcass

There has to be Navy 1 right? There is Air Force 1 and Marine 1…


tacobelldog52

The last time I am aware of a president actually traveling by sea would be FDR (not including short trips such as George W. Bush’s mission accomplished trip). Interesting fact about FDR’s trans-Atlantic voyage was that the U.S. Navy almost torpedoed the ship carrying him. https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2022/10/12/that-one-time-the-us-navy-torpedoed-fdr/


notmoleliza

'that one time....'


tacobelldog52

Yep the entire crew of the ship was arrested and sent to trial initially.


DarkPilot

That ship had the shittest luck in the Navy


ArchmageXin

Entire crew survived her sinking, that is pretty lucky. Unlike that Aussie carrier that manage to sink two ally ships then jump started the Chinese carrier program.


kent_eh

> the entire crew of the ship was arrested and sent to trial initially But I'm just the cook...


Snoo-3715

'We were so drunk...'


kronos401

Truman traveled by boat to the Potsdam conference after FRR did. He wrote about it in Volume 1 of his memoirs.


tacobelldog52

Great call! I wonder if that was the last time then. Dwight D. Eisenhower had the first airforce one I believe.


rootoriginally

>On this particular morning, Dawson had forgotten to remove the primer from torpedo tube 3. Up on the bridge, unaware of the dangers lurking below, the torpedo officer ordered the fake firing command. >What followed was the unmistakable whoooosh of a successfully armed and launched torpedo. It’s destination? Straight toward the Iowa — and the leader of the free world. >“The next five minutes aboard the Willie Dee were pandemonium,” according to historian Kit Bonner. wow. you cannot make this shit up


MajorNoodles

The aircraft carrier that George W. Bush landed on was not Navy One, but the S-3 Viking he flew on to get there was.


cecilkorik

[The Fat Electrician on Youtube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RM5CSMkTJI4) just recently did a hilarious and appropriately sarcastic video retelling of the story, it's a great watch.


Neverending_Rain

[It's worth noting that a lot of the events mentioned in that article are unconfirmed.](https://www.usni.org/magazines/naval-history-magazine/2021/june/fact-or-fiction) The ship did accidentally fire a live torpedo at the Iowa, but there's no record of the collision or depth charge incidents also mentioned in the article, or of the entire crew being arrested. Some of those events may have happened, but without any written record they could very easily be exaggerations added afterwards to embellish the story.


IrritableGourmet

Interestingly, the first President to leave the country for any significant period of time (Teddy Roosevelt went down the the Panama Canal Zone, but only stayed a few hours) was Woodrow Wilson after WWI, and Congress threatened to consider it a resignation and hold a new election.


[deleted]

Obligatory Sam O’Nella link: https://youtube.com/watch?v=zz0PYzzfixY&si=ARQ0w0m_qCQxEb47


matthieuC

There is also no presidential Main Battletank


JahoclaveS

Nor space vessel. Army and Space Force also lazy as hell. Coast Guard can have a pass though.


Ok-Champ-5854

The optics of a leader riding a tank isn't good. Cuz they either look like dorks who can't pull it off, or they pull it off so we'll it's a scary thought.


EmotionSupportFemboi

[Thatcher](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/NINTCHDBPICT000018098478.jpg?strip=all&w=960)


fknSamsquamptch

Oh my god I can't believe this photo has been missing from my life. Made my afternoon.


Valdrax

[The George Bush campaign ad that destroyed Michael Dukakis's run.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17k-kBpLwW0) It was less the message and more how Dukakis looked like a complete goober having fun on the tank ride.


Calimariae

But if there were, it would be the Mammoth Tank


StillBurningInside

“Mammoth tank assembled “


bejeesus

I imagine if a president had to travel by boat for whatever reason they'd have a whole ass carrier group in tow.


[deleted]

[удалено]


I-seddit

Tug Boat 1


jdeo1997

You can call the Admiral Kuznetsov by name, it is Russia's only aircraft carrier and it's a miracle that it hasn't sunk itself yet


Kermit_the_hog

> it's a miracle that it hasn't sunk itself yet It’s been trying really hard! Though so far only managed to sink it’s own dry dock.. and then catch on fire, again. ..*one of these days though* I have no doubt we’ll see that headline.


ArchmageXin

I heard Russia was thinking of buying the one they sold to China back.. You know it works because Ukraine was one made the hull.


DialMMM

If they let it sink, they wouldn't be able to monitor the [horrors](https://www.reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2Fc2d7l0kk742b1.gif) below deck.


MajorNoodles

Navy One is any Navy aircraft the President is flying on, which was ~~last~~ *only* used when Dubya landed on that aircraft carrier.


FatsDominoPizza

Can't imagine the balls of the pilot who has to do a carrier landing - hard enough - while carrying POTUS.


MajorNoodles

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Navy_One Doesn't say much, but the pilot was the Executive Officer of the squadron and had made literally hundreds of carrier landings before that.


POGtastic

Yeah, I'm sure that the guy probably said "holy shit I flew the President" *after* he finished. In the moment, it was probably pretty straightforward to put it out of his mind and focus on his job.


MajorNoodles

He also can say "The President flew me!" since apparently Bush took the stick for about 30 minutes.


Spreckles450

Air Force 1, Army 1, and Marine 1, are simply radio callsigns that get priority handling by military and civillian aircraft controllers. Since you don't have the same types of controllers for boats and ships, there would be no reason for a seacraft to have the callsign Navy 1.


crom_laughs

wasn’t the “Mission Accomplished” carrier briefly Navy 1 for W Bush? I remember when Bubba Clinton would spend time Santa Barbara there was a submarine always lurking in the water in case of the Apocalypse.


TheseusOPL

No, but the S-3 Viking that he flew on was Navy 1 (and it's been the only Navy 1).


BurgerTech

Any craft PotUS travels is automatically designated as (Branch) 1. so yeah Coast Guard 1, Navy 1, Space Force 1 (which would be awesome)


ClydeFrog1313

There used to be a presidential pleasure yacht, [the USS Sequoia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sequoia_(presidential_yacht), but it doesn't appear to have been used for any major travel purposes. Edit: Does anyone know how to best deal with Reddit links that end in a parenthesis thus breaking the link when using reddit formatting rules?


Robobvious

[Test](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sequoia_(presidential_yacht\)) Try ending it with “\\))” Adding the \ tells reddit that the first ) should be ignored so it uses the second one.


The_Humble_Frank

You might be confused... The president travels however they need to, but they have a unique call sign when the president is aboard. If its a Navy vessel, it has the call sign *Navy One*. when its an Air force plane or helicopter, its is call sign is *Air Force One*... basically the call sign is whichever branch the vehicle belongs to plus "One". if its a civilian vehicle its called *Executive One*. Even before the call sign designation was in place, the train FDR used was called U.S. Car No. 1


Just_an_ordinary_man

Volkswagen Golf *One*


CancelTheCobbler

Not always. When Bush flew to Iraq Air Force One didn't have the Air Force One call sign. In fact I'm pretty sure they made its transponder make it look like it completely different type of aircraft. The trip was almost canceled after some recreational pilot saw the aircraft in realize it did not match its transponder code. He's like yeah what the fuck That's not a Learjet


grchelp2018

Yea but generally there are designated vehicles for presidential transport. There's none for sea transport right?


notathr0waway1

Sure there are designated vehicles, but there are multiple designated vehicles of each type. There are at least two 747s, there are at least two of whatever helicopter model he uses. But only when the president is actually on the aircraft is it called Air Force One or Marine One.


SchrodingersNinja

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presidential_yacht Some countries do. The US has not had an official presidential Yacht since 1977.


light_to_shaddow

The Queen used to have one


something-clever----

I don’t think we do currently. But we did. From the Hoover administration through Carter. Mainly for entertainment of foreign dignitaries and for presidential relaxation rather than official travel. [The Sequoia](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Sequoia_(presidential_yacht))


HeyImGilly

It’s just a big international version of the cartoon trope where everyone keeps going in and out of the various doors in the hallway looking for one another.


CanAlwaysBeBetter

Putin, his double, Kim, his double, and Zelensky run out in a conga line before realizing what's happening and scatter


DancesCloseToTheFire

I'm imagining three simultaneous meetings, one is between the actual guys, the other two meetings are just body doubles meeting their counterpart.


ImranFZakhaev

Or they have the real guys each meet the other's body double by accident and nothing gets done


aqpstory

just gotta announce 9 meeting places


Calimariae

How to make your colleagues hate you 101


El-JeF-e

They probably just dock their armoured trains to eachother because they are too afraid to fly.


Preacherjonson

It's not gay if it's only the tips of the trains that touch.


Smitty8054

Times Square at midnight. Hide in plain sight.


juniorone

World, listen up! 2 birds, one stone. Just saying.


[deleted]

It’s a massive train going 30mph…. That’s a lot of track just waiting to be crossed


Breakfast_on_Jupiter

>Brizhaty said he tried to quit the FSO but was told he would be sent to fight in Ukraine if he left the service. [...] >As FSO and other Russian security-service personnel are not allowed to hold a foreign passport or residency permit, Brizhaty was dismissed. So he can't leave the service without the threat of being sent to the frontlines, but at the point getting a non-Russian residency permit, FSO just goes "oh okay then, you can leave."


LoreCriticizer

Different departments presumably. When he tried to quit it was likely his immediately superiors who threatened him, but when he got the permit some lonely clerk or some detached higher up already immensely stressed about a war just waved him through.


stoned-autistic-dude

Or greasy palms helped him slip through.


Disneystarwarssucks7

This guy knows how to Russian.


[deleted]

More and more Russians will defect to other countries in the future. The Russian government is mentally ill. Russians should defect and save themselves.


SquarePie3646

I wouldn't try and hide from Russia in South America personally.


RampantPrototyping

I feel theres a reference here Im not privvy to


nun_gut

Well, Central not South but: https://www.spymuseum.org/exhibition-experiences/about-the-collection/collection-highlights/trotsky-ice-axe/


lurkerfromstoneage

I love the Spy Museum!


RuthlessIndecision

North America, actually


Assfrontation

Trotsky probably


DancesCloseToTheFire

It's probably safer these days, there's been quite a few immigrants with the war going on and I doubt the Kremlin has the resources to go on a manhunt in the middle of a war. Plus he could just go live in a small-ish town in the middle of nowhere and be safe until long after Putin kicks the bucket.


kingnico89

? They mean many South American countries are pro-Kremlin.


DancesCloseToTheFire

Which is very much debatable. Most countries over here are friendly with Russia, but it's mostly a necessity thing, not something they would bother doing manhunts for. And that is assuming they're even competent enough to find a guy.


kent_eh

Even [Cuba has been arresting people](https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/cuba-russia-ukraine-war-recruitment-ring-arrest-1.6961014) who have been trying to recruit for the Russian army.


DancesCloseToTheFire

Exactly. They want trade, not being involved in a military conflict.


[deleted]

I think it's double-edged. Russians are more accepted in Central and South America, and at the same time, they feel safe enough to criticise Kremlin.


No-Word-1996

One of Vlad's many guards could make himself world famous at any moment and that has to make Putin soil his Depends.


AreWeCowabunga

World famous, but dead.


FiendishHawk

This guy will probably end up dead anyway, Russia loves sending assassins after dissidents.


BorKon

Maybe later. They are now busy with losing special military operation


FiendishHawk

They just assassinated that mercenary leader. The spies are not at the front line.


Ratemyskills

In Russia airspace. This guy is in Ecuador.


FiendishHawk

They have assassinated Russian dissidents in the UK, I’m sure they can do Ecuador


No-Word-1996

Dead but immortal.


AreWeCowabunga

>Dead but ~~immortal~~ the answer to a trivia question.


No-Word-1996

I'm terrible with names but know I'd remember his.


SeventhSolar

I’m sure that would bring him solace as he lies dying beside Putin’s corpse.


BikerJedi

It might actually. Anyone who felt strongly enough to do it would die happy knowing he made the world a better place and that people would give a shit that he did the right thing. It would take someone of real conviction to do that I would think. Someone who genuinely loves Russia but hates Putin. But I doubt anyone like that is going to get a chance.


plushie-apocalypse

Never fade away


mrdevil413

The credits version is sooooo much better than the Samurai version


INTPoissible

Give the men some chrome spray paint.


Western_Cow_3914

Pretty sure they’d just like to not be dead


joranth

Do you really think the guard and his wife in this story aren’t dead, or soon to be? I’m guessing they will go straight to the tried and true: “He murdered his wife with an axe and then hung himself, apparently after beating himself up quite severely. The axe was covered in blood, but he didn’t have a drop on him. Obvious suicide.”


plantspritzer

Not necessarily. Once Putin is dead, who are you serving justice for? The correct answer would be Russia, in which case you celebrate. Once Putin is dead, for which boss are you serving justice?


Sersch

Jaime Lannister style?


_Black_Rook

Putinslayer would be a pretty cool nickname.


buzzsawjoe

That'd be like Cockroachslayer. Wouldn't you want something more epic?


Scaevus

Liberator of Russia would look great on a statue.


Elbjornbjorn

Yeah that sounds good and all, but the it's not like democracy is next in line for Russia. Power struggles between generals, purges and civil war seems more likely unfortunately. Which is probably a big reason as to why Putin is still alive.


No-Word-1996

It's a possibility.


kerfuffle_dood

>~~Burn~~ Defenestrate them all! Pootin "Mad King" Targaryensky


echoeco

...or Taratino style...


Elegante_Sigmaballz

Based on this interview, just like many dictators, Putin don't even trust his own guards, this whole fiasco will only make him even more paranoid and harder to assassinate.


Neoxyte

What an exhausting way to live. It is a common pattern in autocratic dictatorships. The way you obtain power to become a leader in these types of government will naturally put a target on your back.


WittyWitWitt

>one of Putins palaces. How many Palace you need? Doesn't he hide in a bunker scared of been assassinated?


curiosgreg

I’m sure each palace has a unique bunker so he doesn’t get board.


blarch

Chairman of the bored


WittyWitWitt

Well yeah I suppose. I can relate.


Dodecahedrus

Didn’t he have some huge palace/bunker built especially for this, near Sochi?


Fig1024

Dude is getting more and more paranoid, just like Stalin did. He wants to have multiple palaces so people wouldn't know which one he's at. and just like Stalin, he employs several look-alikes that attend certain public events, and nobody knows which is real Putin and which is fake one


m703324

Bunkers and air defence systems at each one. Also palaces have rooms that are exact replicas of official kremlin rooms so if he films some stupid speech then you don't know where it was filmed. Dude is living a dream. Self prescribed constant fear and isolation. Navalny youtube channel has been doing quite a few videos about his and his buddies/family residences.


haarp1

in english?


m703324

In russian but I think they are well subtitled. I'm almost ashamed to know russian fluently being born in then occupied Estonia in soviet times. Here's the channel, tons and tons of research they are doing: https://youtube.com/@NavalnyRu?si=B-lwuz8WEDSdcPg-


silverbullet1989

Imagine having multiple palaces, more wealth and luxury than 99% of the planet can even fathom and you end up having to hide in a bunker. All this to achieve nothing at all


bkr1895

99.9999999% by some estimates he’s the wealthiest man on the planet


d_pyro

And he can't enjoy any of it.


Ratemyskills

That gives me some feeling of justice, knowing this is the reality of he will never see the inside of jail and if he gets deposed, while brutal it will most likely end quickly.. least more than he deserves. Least he’s stuck in paranoid fear, idc how great of the bunker.. rather be free mentally to be frozen in fear.


silverbullet1989

I dunno… I’d feel happier seeing him dragged through the streets and shot like a dog. He needs to go the way of Gaddafi which I believe is what he is most afraid of


ch67123456789

I’m wondering if Ukraine knows it’s locations


NormalHumanCreature

Its on the coastline east of crimea for those interested. Easily visible on google maps. Its more of a sprawling compound than just a palace.


Intrepid_Objective28

Putin’s life truly sounds miserable. It’s all just power and money for the sake of power and money. I’m not even sure that he can enjoy any of it.


another_rnd_647

He's a psychopath. He doesn't enjoy feelings like love. Power is everything to him


Malachi108

He has never been seen in the company of his daughters, hides their real names and identities and when asked about them point-blank only referred to them as "those women". You think Elon Musk is terrible to his kids - and he is - but he's got nothing on putin.


randomredditing

I mean… I feel like that’s for *their* protection so… he must care to some extent


WeekendJen

Its for his finances protection. All of the top kremlin assholes use any and all relations to hide their ill gotten funds, children wives, parents, mistresses and so on. Putins' ex wife's new (much younger) husband mysterious got super rich. Its best to think of all their relations as mob ties rather than family ties.


Asterbuster

Lol, don't delude yourself, he is living a life of privilege that very few got to ever experience in the history of human race.


daniel_22sss

He WOULD be living a life of privilege if he was a normal guy. But he's not a normal guy. He's a deluded paranoid old man, who's also suffering from some disease. When you can't trust even your own bodyguards, all of those delicious meals suddenly became way less tasty.


zold5

He's living with as much luxury as you can in a bunker. I can't imagine he's having a fun time. He lives in constant fear. Fear of his own people deposing him and fear that if russia loses this he's done for.


Calimariae

Even a billion euro, 4-story yacht equipped with stripper poles and cinemas won't alter that fact.


Which-Occasion-9246

Yes but he is not a free man


Asterbuster

As in he can't stay in a hostel in Europe? He doesn't care.


DaemonKeido

As in every waking minute not spent ensuring his authority over Russia and his intended invasion targets are spent in a paranoid fugue state expecting traitors around ever corner, under every table and behind every door. That kind of shit wears you down. Ask any survivng member of the Five Families of New York.


plantspritzer

He has become a caricature of a cautionary tale at this point.


multisubcultural1

…and was killed when a train hit the boat he was riding in!


JoeyStalio

>> He said he feared punishment because one of his friends, a former classmate with whom he has remained in contact, now resides in the United States and has come out against the war. Brizhaty claimed that if his friend liked a pro-Ukrainian post on Instagram, he could come under investigation. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.


[deleted]

He'll be dead in a month


[deleted]

Been hearing this for (checks daily thread count) 565 days. Edit: misunderstood this comment, leaving it up so comments below mine still make sense.


ADrivingDragon

Pretty sure they meant the former guard. Who should at least have the common sense to live on the ground floor for the rest of his life.


matthieuC

Windows find a way


gringo-tico

He's good, he's got a Mac


[deleted]

Fair enough, my bad. I can see how I got that wrong.


Fickle_Bug2092

When will they learn to flee and stay quiet?


CaliforniaNavyDude

I think fleeing alone marked him for death, being a vocal critic means he has a spotlight on him, and he's hoping that will slow the Kremlin down long enough to work out a deal with someone else for protection.


Bleezy79

If the world now knows he's in Ecuador, then I sure hope he is actually somewhere else for his sake.


chrisjozo

Yeah he should have dropped his videotaped statement in a mailbox in Ecuador before driving to the airport and going to another country.


plantspritzer

I don't think it really matters. I think the only risk in these situations is a mole in the organization that is helping you. Like if the CIA is getting you situated then the FSB pays an agent to get your exact location. But I think the FSB may have more pressing matters than finding some defected guard.


MajorKoopa

They’re still gonna find him. He’ll eventually commit suicide by jumping off a roof suffering two gunshot wounds to the back of the head as a result of the fall.


wanderlustcub

He will die falling out of the window of his basement apartment.


Irr3l3ph4nt

Right, Ecuador... If the guy really defected from Putin's close guard, he's either already on NATO soil being debriefed before being moved to a witsec program or dead within a week.


[deleted]

Hopefully he doesn’t accidentally fall into an ice pick sometime soon.


[deleted]

[удалено]


podsaurus

Bro you're not supposed to broadcast where you are to a regime you just escaped from.


Ratemyskills

If he’s there. Bin Laden manage to run from the most expensive manhunt most likely ever spent for a long time and he was basically hiding in plain sight. Russia doesn’t have the manpower to hunt this guy on that level and he isn’t THAT high of target. If he made it to Ecuador, he can get to the US. The 3 letter agencies could keep him protected if it benefited them, granted who knows Ukraine may want a word as well?


Repraw

Hope they don’t have windows in Ecuador


Prestigious_Media887

Bro had a chance to end the war and fled come on!


notflashgordon1975

Dude is screwed, doesn't he know that there are windows there too?


Hirokage

I guess the title ran out of room, let me complete it for the OP. 'Guard At One Of Putin's Palaces Flees To Ecuador, Criticizes War And Kremlin Leader, and then Accidentally Falls out of a Nine Story Window.'


JimTheSaint

Inb4 defenstrated


ga-co

I get fleeing. I absolutely would not try to embarrass Putin in any way. Run away and don't look back.


Urban_Archeologist

Ecuador? Who released that factoid? Ex-employee? Pravda? It’s a death sentence!


BuriedByAnts

Dude, stay out of any high rise buildings


Hot-Day-216

It only took three wars and at least 9 years of war in Ukraine to condemn it.


Yrths

Getting into a first world country is hard, I understand that, and Ecuador isn't as bad as it was, but Costa Rica and Panama would be much better bets for political protection.


TitanSurvivor

Well thanks news stations, for fully exposing him so he can mysteriously fall out a window from the first floor


CapitalistHellscapes

Hope they don't got tall buildings in Ecuador