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Pictured
Red Zeppelin

Vladimir Putin is planning to build this huge £23million airship to open up Siberia

The Putin-led Russian Security Council plans to use the futuristic "half plane, half airship" to access the frozen region and open it up to economic expansion

THIS is the enormous £23million zeppelin Vladimir Putin is planning to develop in order to open up Siberia.

The Putin-led Russian Security Council plans to use the futuristic "half plane, half airship" to access the frozen region and open it up to economic expansion.

Concept shots offer a glimpse of what the futuristic craft could end up looking like
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Concept shots offer a glimpse of what the futuristic craft could end up looking likeCredit: Array

The plans come as part of a £185billion investment in the frosty Siberian region, although locals will have to wait until 2035 until the enormous airship takes to the sky for the first time.

However, when it is complete, one of these £23million aircraft will be able to do the work of five Mi-8 helicopters in transporting goods and people around the remote region.

Passengers will have to wait until 2035 before they could get the chance to take the skies in a new-age airship
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Passengers will have to wait until 2035 before they could get the chance to take the skies in a new-age airshipCredit: Array

This would solve a problem of accessing untapped Siberian potential, which has long bothered the Kremlin.

And as ancient infrastructure projects begin to show their age in the region, Putin is ready to leap into the future with this airship investment.

The hefty Atlan airship could end up being larger than the wide-bodied Boeing 747, and able to carry up to 16 tons, with a flight range of over 3,000 miles.

To finance the pricey project, Moscow could look to backers in China, Japan, the US and even Europe, offering investors huge slices of the project in return for an end to EU sanctions.

The craft could finally make Siberia more accessible, allowing for travel across the Northernmost parts of Russia
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The craft could finally make Siberia more accessible, allowing for travel across the Northernmost parts of RussiaCredit: Array

And Russia isn't the only country to invest in new airship technology, with US and British engineers working on their own variants of the flying behemoths.

The craft could prove to be so revolutionary because they can remain in the air for days at a time, and could be capable of landing without the need for a traditional airport.

The Atlant zeppelin could revolutionise air travel, since it can theoretically fly for days without needing to land
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The Atlant zeppelin could revolutionise air travel, since it can theoretically fly for days without needing to landCredit: Array

The new-age design of this current generation of airships also means they aren't as vulnerable to strong Arctic winds as past variants used to be.

But not everyone is so certain that airships are the future, with critics claiming that they are too expensive and unreliable to be a cost-effective method of transport.

The frozen Siberian region is barely accessible, but could be opened up by this new investment
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The frozen Siberian region is barely accessible, but could be opened up by this new investmentCredit: Array

Engineers would also need to soothe fears about the safety of the craft, with the 1937 Hindenburg disaster still raised as an objection to a return to the age of airships.

Despite these concerns, however, Moscow is reported to be interested in pressing on with the zeppelin project, in order to finally ensure that Siberia is open for business.

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