Rare Photo Shows Mid-Air Refueling of Russia’s 'Doomsday Aircraft'

A rare image showing the mid-air refueling of Russia's Il-80 airborne command post has appeared online. The photograph was published by a military pilot and author of the Telegram channel Fighterbomber. The image, taken from aboard a refueling aircraft, shows the Il-80 receiving fuel through an aerial refueling boom, a procedure rarely documented in open sources. A Rare Glimpse of a Strategic Aircraft "This is not just a rare photograph, but an extremely rare one. It shows the refueling of the Il-86-based "Doomsday Plane.' In everyday terms it is called something far less dramatic, but this name fits,” the author wrote.