--- title: "Russian 'Flying Kremlin' Left Iran Hours Before US Bombing Began" description: "The Russian 'Doomsday plane' left Iran just a few hours before the start of the US airstrike on Iranian military targets. Aircraft RA-64531 flew from Tehran to Beijing while Americans prepared for the operation, provoked by attacks on tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. πŸ‡·πŸ‡ΊβœˆοΈπŸ‡ΊπŸ‡Έ" date: 2026-07-14T13:01:05.000Z lang: en url: https://xab.info/en/posts/russian-doomsday-plane-left-iran-hours-before-us-bombing tags: [iran, usa, russia, tu-214pu, centcom] publisher: "XAB.info" --- # Russian 'Flying Kremlin' Left Iran Hours Before US Bombing Began ![Russian Il-96 aircraft, known as the 'Flying Kremlin', in flight over Iran before the start of US bombings](https://xab.info/media/2026/07/14/rossiyskiy-samolet-sudnogo-dnya-pokinul-iran-do-udara-ssha/rossiyskiy-samolet-sudnogo-dnya-pokinul-iran-do-udara-ssha-1.webp) The timing coincidence has drawn the close attention of military analysts: the Russian Tu-214PU command aircraft, unofficially dubbed the 'Doomsday plane', left Iranian territory just a few hours before the start of a massive US air operation. Data from the AirNav aviation monitoring system allows for the reconstruction of the exact chronology of events. The aircraft with registration number RA-64531 arrived in Tehran on July 13 at 07:35 Kyiv time. The visit of the Russian special machine to the Iranian capital was short-lived: by 19:08 on the same day, the aircraft took off from the runway of Imam Khomeini International Airport. The route lay to the east. The aircraft landed in Beijing on July 14 at 02:25. Meanwhile, just a few hours after the departure of the Russian aircraft, American forces began striking targets in Iran. ### Chronology of the Strike and Operation Objectives According to official data from the US Central Command (CENTCOM), the air operation started on July 13 at 23:45 Kyiv time. The strikes lasted more than five hours, ending only at 05:15 on the morning of July 14. The US Air Force attacked military targets throughout Iran, including the cities of Bushehr, Chabahar, Jask, Konarak, Abu Musa, and Bandar Abbas. The main objective of the operation, according to command statements, was to reduce Iran's ability to attack commercial vessels. The reason for the resumption of active hostilities was incidents in the Strait of Hormuz. The Ministry of Defense of the UAE confirmed that Iranian cruise missiles hit two Emirati tankers in the territorial waters of Oman. As a result of the attack, one crew member was killed and eight others were injured. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the fact of strikes on oil tankers, explaining the actions by the Iranian side's disregard for preliminary warnings. ### Aircraft Technical Specifications The aircraft RA-64531 belongs to the class of Tu-214PU command aircraft. These machines have received the status of 'Doomsday planes' due to their purpose: they ensure a continuous government communication channel in emergency situations and military conflicts. The machine was built at the Kazan Aircraft Plant named after S.P. Gorbunov. The maiden flight took place on December 28, 2018, and in the summer of 2019, the aircraft was transferred to the Special Flight Squadron 'Russia'. The aircraft is equipped with complex relay systems, special encryption units, and satellite communication antennas, which allows for the control of troops from any point on the planet. ### Logistical Consequences of Escalation The deterioration of the situation around the Strait of Hormuz is already forcing countries in the region to seek alternative logistical routes. As previously reported, the company DP World plans to build a new port and container terminal on the east coast of the UAE to bypass the dangerous section of the waterway. Recall that as a result of the recent Iranian missile strike on the tankers 'Mombasa' and 'Al-Bahia' in the territorial waters of Oman, Ukrainian citizens were among the victims. During the attack, one person was killed, and eight others, including two Ukrainians, were injured.