In the last week, I have been tracking waves of strange Ural Airways flights heading towards Ukraine. It would appear that these flights are being used to move Russian troops toward Ukraine.
I decided to write about it (including links to evidence).
As I posted this, there is another of these flights heading towards Ukraine!
AND ANOTHER! This one is a bit more interesting as I this is the first time this aircraft has done one of these flights - making it 13 aircraft which have been used.
By the end of the afternoon I am going to have to update the article , its already out of date haha.
Family photo - I think 73842 has now stopped tracking.
Read the article to understand exactly where the tracking is turned off.
Very interesting - RA-73806 is on its return flight.
While it could appear this plane has departed Rostov-on-Don Platov Airport, they have it flying at 39,000ft over the top of the airport. I guess it may have departed to the southwest and turned, but who knows!
While looking into Ural Airlines jets, I noticed this one.
It looks like they ordered a Boeing 737 Max-8 before the Ukraine war started and due to them being on the sanctions list have never been able to receive the plane into Russia.
I almost feel bad for them.
Another Ural troop flight?
This is another first timer! That makes 14 jets involved.
#ANOTHER! It looks like we have another Ural flight headed towards the Russia-Ukraine border area.
I was starting to think they were done for the day!
#ANOTHER!!! #RA73826 is back in the air on another flight towards the Ukraine-Russia border!
This is the second time this plane has been used, with both trips happening today. #UkraineWar#OSINT
#ANOTHER!!!!! #RA73795 had recently left Yekaterinburg and is heading in the same direction as every other one of those Ural flights ... Direct to the #Ukraine-#Russia border!
Another batch of troops is being sent to slaughter! #UkraineWar
UPDATE - As of 23:30 pm GMT on the 3rd October, there have been around 47 of these Ural flights from Yekaterinburg towards the #Ukraine - #Russia border.
14 Jets (A320s and A321s) have been used.
(it might be 15 jets, it's getting late and my brain is playing tricks on me).
Also - Useless fact, the average age of the planes being used is 15.4 (decimal) years old.
The youngest plane is RA-73817, which is a 10 years old Airbus A320-232.
I was starting to think they had stopped these flights as I haven't seen any all day - But as I type RA-73805 is on a (troop) flight to the #Ukraine - #Russia border!
Bahhhh. Back to work today! If anyone sees any of these Ural flights, or anything interesting, feel free to tag me in the posts or DM me!
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
Since the 28th of September, Ural Airlines have flown 25 flights from Yekaterinburg to close to the Russian border with #Ukraine. Occasionally their destination is Volgograd, an airport Ural doesn't seem to serve.
I believe these flights are moving Russian troops to Ukraine.
The pattern is that they are flown by Ural airways, and they always turn ADSB signal off when about 100 or so miles from #Ukraine.
Earlier today I got my smoking gun, as it appears they briefly turned on their tracking while crossing the border.
Of course, I may be wrong, but the evidence seems to be stacking up. Yekaterinburg is home to the Russian Army's 'Central Military District' HQ, the flights always go dark, and now we see have seen one returning from east #Ukraine.