US Air Force plane lands at Moscow's Vnukovo airport

A United States Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III aircraft landed at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow on the morning of August 25, 2026. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 confirmed that the aircraft, identified by flight code RCH4555 and tail number 07-7181, departed from Riga, Latvia, at approximately 08:50 Moscow time and arrived in the Russian capital shortly after 10:00.

Preliminary flight records indicate the aircraft had arrived in Riga on August 23 after departing from Joint Base Andrews in Camp Springs, Maryland, a facility frequently utilized for official U.S. government and presidential transport. While tracking data provided a clear flight path, the Kremlin officially stated it had no information regarding the specific purpose or contents of the flight. Reuters reported that it could not independently verify if the aircraft was transporting passengers or cargo.

This event is notable due to the restricted nature of direct flights between the United States and Russia. The last recorded direct flight of a U.S.-registered aircraft from Europe to Russia occurred in January, carrying special envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner for peace talks with Vladimir Putin. There is currently no official information regarding the duration of the aircraft's stay in Moscow or its next destination.