Mystery in Russia: Report of a US military aircraft landing in Moscow
A US Air Force military transport aircraft landed Tuesday at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport after departing from Riga. The purpose of the flight and the identity of those on board remain unknown.
A US Air Force military transport aircraft landed today, Tuesday, at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow after taking off from Riga, the capital of Latvia, according to flight tracking data published by NBC News.
At this stage, it is unknown who was on board the aircraft and what the purpose of its arrival in Russia was. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked about the aircraft's arrival, replied that he had no information regarding the matter. Officials in the US military, the White House, the US Embassy in Moscow, and the Russian Embassy in Washington also did not immediately respond to inquiries regarding the purpose of the flight.
According to data from the Flightradar24 website, the Boeing C-17A Globemaster III aircraft landed at Vnukovo International Airport shortly after 10:00 Moscow time, having departed from Riga about two hours earlier. The data shows that the aircraft left on Sunday afternoon from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, near Washington, and from there continued to Latvia.
C-17 aircraft are used by the US Air Force to transport troops, equipment, and vehicles, as well as for logistical and humanitarian missions and to support visits by senior officials. At this stage, there is no confirmation that the aircraft was carrying a political delegation, prisoners, or specific cargo, and the reason for its unusual arrival in Moscow remains a mystery.
