In 2000, Putin flew as a co-pilot aboard a Su-27 jet fighter, even piloting the aircraft himself at some point during the flight.
In 2010, Putin tried his hand at driving a Formula 1 racecar, reaching the speed of 240 kilometers per hour at a race track in Leningrad.
In 2010, Putin personally inspected a federal highway in Russia’s Far East by driving a Lada Kalina car along the road. In 2015, he also took a ride on a Lada Vesta at the resort city of Krasnaya Polyana.
A video snippet from Putin’s vacations in 2010 also suggested that he can drive a snowmobile pretty well.
Aircraft, tanks, trucks, submersibles, bikes and horses: is there anything Putin can’t handle? (Part 1)
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) February 23, 2024
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent flight aboard a Tu-160M strategic supersonic bomber aircraft was far from the only instance of him taking charge of (or sometimes… pic.twitter.com/jw3WWh8DFW
In 2011, Putin familiarized himself with the inner workings of a T-90S main battle tank while visiting an international military expo in Nizhny Tagil.
In 2012, Putin had flown a paraglider while participating in an experiment aimed at preserving an endangered species of crane.
In 2015, Putin descended to the bottom of the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea aboard a submersible. He also took part in submersible dives in the Baltic Sea to the wrecks of a 19th century frigate and a World War II submarine in 2013 and 2019, respectively.
In 2018, Putin drove a heavy Kamaz truck across the newly constructed bridge across the Kerch Strait. Driving such vehicles does not seem to be an issue for the Russian president, which he would demonstrate again in 2024 while taking another Kamaz for a spin on the M-12 highway.
In 2019, Putin attended a bike show in Crimea where he demonstrated his motorcycle riding skills.
The Russian president also displayed on a number of occasions that he is no stranger to horseback riding, both while vacationing and during events such as his visit to the Moscow mounted police regiment in 2020.
In 2021, Putin was spotted driving an all-terrain tracked vehicle while on vacation in Siberia.
22 February, 12:34 GMT
