Moscow: At a time when the Donald Trump administration is going around accusing countries, including India, of helping Russia fight the war against Ukraine by purchasing Russian oil, the arrival of an US military aircraft in Moscow has raised eyebrows.
The C-17A Globemaster III, flying from Riga in Latvia, to Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport on Tuesday, triggered questions over the purpose of the unexpected trip.
The aircraft, operating under the flight number RCH4555, departed Riga at around 8.50 am Moscow time and landed at Vnukovo at about 10.04 am, according to Flightradar24 data, as reported by News18.
The aircraft flew to Riga on August 23 from Camp Springs, Maryland, home to Joint Base Andrews, where aircraft used by senior US officials, including the presidential fleet, are based.
The purpose of the Moscow flight was not immediately clear. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Moscow had no information about the US military aircraft, while Russian state media reported that no meetings with representatives of the US administration were scheduled in Moscow this week.
A C-17 Globemaster III is a large US military transport aircraft used to move troops, heavy equipment and supplies, but such aircraft can also support diplomatic and government missions.
