US Air Force C-17 Makes Mysterious Visit To Moscow

A US Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday, according to flight-tracking website Flightradar24.

The C-17 arrived from Riga, Latvia, where it landed on Sunday, according to Flightradar24 data. Flight data show that the military transport plane was recently at Camp Springs, Maryland, home to Joint Base Andrews, which supports presidential and senior US government travel.

“An unusual visitor to Moscow this morning. A US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew from Riga to Moscow Vnukovo Airport,” Flightradar24 wrote on X early Tuesday.

An unusual visitor to Moscow this morning. 👀

A US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew from Riga to Moscow Vnukovo Airporthttps://t.co/D7vylYesDQ pic.twitter.com/jXbOSj0LXM

— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) August 25, 2026

Flightradar24 shows the C-17’s latest activity over the past seven days:

Russian business news website RBC confirmed that a US military transport aircraft had landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport.

Russian state-owned news agency TASS also reported that an “American Boeing C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft has reportedly landed in Moscow.”

More from TASS:

A source within EU air traffic control authorities told TASS that the plane, having originally flown from Andrews Air Force Base to Latvia, had indeed continued its journey toward the Russian border. The source confirmed that the aircraft proceeded toward Russia’s border after its stop in Riga. Additionally, the source noted that prior to this, the plane had also visited Charleston Airport.

There has been no official confirmation from the US about the C-17’s landing in Moscow. The flight could indicate support for a senior US delegation, the transportation of diplomatic cargo or a prisoner transfer. Keep in mind that Joint Base Andrews is a major hub for US government and military missions.