US military plane flies from Riga to Moscow, drawing global attention
Tuesday 25th August 2026 on 15:31 in
Latvia
A US Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft flew from Riga Airport to Moscow early Tuesday, drawing international attention because it was the first time in 10 years that an aircraft of this type had landed in Moscow, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reported.
The aircraft arrived at Riga Airport on Sunday evening from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington. The base also houses the Boeing 747 aircraft used by the US president and other aircraft for transporting officials.
The US Embassy in Latvia told LSM that the flight was carried out as part of official US government assignments but said it had no further information to provide.
Foreign media, citing Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, reported that the Kremlin also had no information about the flight.
Meduza reported that there were currently more questions than answers because the purpose of the flight, as well as the cargo or passengers the aircraft may have carried, was unknown.
The outlet noted that Russian authorities had in recent months been preparing for visits by US President Donald Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Both had previously acted as US intermediaries in talks between Moscow and Kyiv, although the peace process has currently stalled.
Another US aircraft arrived in Riga
While the flight from Riga to Moscow attracted widespread international attention, another US Air Force aircraft, a Boeing C-40 Clipper, landed at Riga Airport from Andrews Air Force Base on Monday. The US Embassy provided no further information about that flight.
About the C-17 Globemaster III
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III is a heavy military transport aircraft designed to move troops, equipment and cargo quickly. It can carry more than 77 tonnes of cargo and take off from or land on relatively short, poorly equipped runways.
During the 2021 evacuation from Kabul, one C-17 aircraft departed Hamid Karzai International Airport with several hundred Afghans in its cargo hold. The US Air Force has operated the aircraft since 1995.