Also on 17 Nov Iranian Government Dassault Falcon 900EX EP-IGC IRAN05 (Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi) flew from Tehran to Dubai UAE and is now en route back to Tehran.

One would think this kind of thing is illegal.

More subterfuge (another word I need spell checker for)! Early on 17 Nov Red Wings Tu-214 RA-64518 departed Tel Aviv as Tu-214SR Communications Relay aircraft RA-64516 using CS/FCN WZ16/RW016. At 0443Z it switched and began broadcasting as RA-64518 and returned to Moscow.

On the ground long enough to refuel, SFS Il-62MK RA-86539 took off from Khmejmim Airbase and is en route back to RUS. RUS VKS Tu-154M RA-85559 that flew to Khmejmim – Damascus – Khmejmim earlier today is still on the ground.

These flights could also be related to at least one recent flight by SFS An-124 CONDOR RA-82030 to Bamako.

The origin point for this flight is reportedly Alexandria EGY; however, I think the flight originated further south. SFS Il-62MK RA-86539 was in Bamako on 11 Nov and they were possibly both in Bamako at the same time.

It stopped ADS-B reporting as RA-64518 at 1736Z and switched to RA-64516 at 1738Z even switching its Mode-S of 14FC06 to 14FC04 (and switching its flight origin to Penza). The screen shots below say it all. I still believe this in intentional but have no idea why it is being done.

Article from 27 Oct: united24media.com/latest-news/...

SFS An-124 CONDOR RA-82040 landed at Goa IND (likely to refuel). It took off after approximately four hours and flew to Ho Chi Minh City VNM likely landing at Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The reason for this flight is not known; however, …….

It appears that IRN was also not the destination.

It appears that IRN may be a more likely destination for SFS An-124 CONDOR RA-82040.

RUS Navy Tu-154B-2 CARELESS RF-85856 landed at K-Grad Chkalovsk and was only on the ground about 10 minutes, took off and returned to St P-Burg Levashovo.

Tretyakovo Airport is operated by the United Aircraft Corporation and serves as part of the Lukhovitsy Aircraft Production and Test Complex. Tretyakovo Airport from Jul 2025 with visiting Il-96 CAMBER:

The only other possibility was Oum el Bouaghi Airbase but it was headed in the wrong direction (unless it did a serious course correction).

I do not know where it went. When tracking dropped it was already south of Ain Oussera Airbase and my thoughts were that it flew to Tamanrasset-Hadj Bey Akhamok Airbase; however, that is a long flight and I do not see how it could have flown there and back in that amount time.

Could these flights be connected to deliveries of Su-35 FLANKER or Su-34 FULLBACK? Su-34 FULLBACK at Gorodskoj from Jun 2025: