A US military transport aircraft landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo airport on Tuesday, according to Reuters, citing data from flight-tracking service Flightradar24, in a development that could draw attention amid stalled US-Russia talks over the war in Ukraine.
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, carrying the US-registered tail number 07-7181, flew directly from Riga, Latvia, to Moscow and landed at around 0700 GMT, Reuters reported citing data.
Reuters said it could not independently determine whether the aircraft was carrying passengers or cargo.
The Kremlin said it had no information about the US military aircraft’s arrival.
Plane had arrived in Riga from US
According to Flightradar24 data cited by Reuters, the aircraft had flown to Riga on August 23 from Camp Springs, Maryland, near Washington, DC.
The unusual flight comes as diplomatic efforts between Washington and Moscow over the Ukraine war have largely stalled.
The last direct flight by a US-registered aircraft from Europe to Russia reportedly took place in January, when a US government aircraft carried special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Moscow for talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on ending the Ukraine war.
No confirmation of Witkoff-Kushner visit
The latest flight comes days after the Kremlin said it had no information about another planned visit to Moscow by Witkoff and Kushner.
The two US officials have played a key role in Washington’s efforts to negotiate an end to the Ukraine conflict. However, progress in the US-Russia talks has slowed amid the broader geopolitical crisis and the ongoing war involving Iran.
The purpose of Tuesday’s C-17 flight remains unclear. Neither the Kremlin nor US authorities have publicly indicated that the aircraft was linked to a new round of Ukraine peace negotiations.
The arrival of a US military aircraft in Moscow nevertheless comes at a sensitive moment, as Washington and Moscow continue to navigate strained relations while diplomatic efforts over Ukraine remain uncertain.
