A pickup truck apparently fitted with an anti-aircraft machine gun accompanied Russian President Vladimir Putin’s motorcade after he arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday, Sept. 2, while troops and military vehicles lined roads leading into the city. Russian Telegram channel ASTRA reported that videos published by local channels showed the presidential convoy near Vladivostok airport. Kyiv Post could not independently verify when the footage was recorded or confirm the type of weapon visible on the pickup.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. The footage appeared to show the armed pickup traveling among the vehicles in the presidential convoy. ASTRA described the weapon mounted on it as an anti-aircraft machine gun.
Military personnel and equipment were also reportedly stationed along the highway connecting the airport with Vladivostok. Residents complained in local chats about “huge traffic jams” caused by road closures, according to ASTRA. Russian authorities did not publicly explain the deployment or disclose how long the restrictions would remain in place. Russian state news agency TASS reported that Putin arrived in Vladivostok on Wednesday to attend the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) and hold meetings on the development of Russia’s Far Eastern Federal District. The four-day forum opened on Tuesday, and will run through Friday. More than 5,000 representatives from 80 countries were expected to attend, according to Xinhua.
