The arrival of a US Air Force transport plane in Moscow on Tuesday morning raises questions, as so far it is unknown neither the purpose of the flight nor who or what was on board.
It is a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III, with flight number RCH4555, which landed at Vnukovo airport in the Russian capital.
According to Flightradar24 data, the US military plane arrived in Moscow from Riga, Latvia. However, its journey began on Saturday and included several intermediate stops.
The C-17 took off from Joint Base McGuire in New Jersey and then made an overnight stop at Charleston Airport in South Carolina.
On Sunday, he flew to Joint Base Andrews, the large joint US Air Force and Navy base near Washington. This is, among other things, the base from which the presidential plane Air Force One departs.
The flight followed a long one over the Atlantic, with the plane landing in Riga on Monday. From the Latvian capital, it then flew to Moscow, where it arrived on Tuesday.
The mystery surrounding the flight is intensifying as there is still no information on the plane’s mission.
According to Russian media, it is not known whether the C-17 was carrying any specific cargo or passengers, nor have further details emerged since its landing in the Russian capital.
The publication notes that a possible visit to Russia by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, and the president’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has recently been anticipated.
Both have previously taken on the role of American mediators in talks between Moscow and Kiev, although the specific peace process is currently on hold.
However, there is no evidence linking the arrival of the C-17 to a possible visit by the two men.
Asked about the unusual arrival of the US military aircraft, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said he had no information about it.
“No, I don’t have this information,” he told reporters when asked if the Kremlin could comment on the landing of the US plane at Vnukovo.
Russian news agency RIA Novosti, also citing flight data, reported that the US Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III did indeed arrive at Vnukovo on Tuesday from Riga.
What is the C-17 Globemaster III?
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is one of the United States’ primary heavy military transport aircraft and is designed for the rapid transport of troops, military equipment, and large cargo.
It can carry more than 77 tons of cargo, while one of its most important operational characteristics is the ability to take off and land on relatively small and limited runways.
The C-17 has been in service with the United States Air Force since 1995 and is used for both military missions and the transport of personnel and materials over long distances.