‘We are under attack’: US military aircraft lands in Russia, sparks wild theories - The Times of India

**U.S. Military Transport Plane Touches Down in Moscow, Prompting Kremlin Silence and Online Speculation**

A United States Air Force C‑17 Globemaster III arrived at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport on Tuesday afternoon, marking the first known landing of a U.S. military transport aircraft on Russian soil in decades. According to the aircraft’s transponder data, the four‑engine plane took off from Riga, Latvia, at 11:45 a.m. local time and entered Russian airspace without filing a standard diplomatic clearance. The crew reportedly communicated with Russian air traffic controllers and was granted an emergency landing slot, citing an undisclosed technical issue. No passengers were on board, and the aircraft was quickly escorted to a secure area of the airport pending further investigation.

The Kremlin’s response was unusually terse. In a brief statement released shortly after the landing, the Russian government said it “has no information” regarding the presence of the U.S. aircraft and declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding the event. Russian defence officials did not immediately provide details on whether the plane was detained, inspected, or allowed to depart. The lack of official clarification has fueled a wave of conjecture across social media platforms, with commentators offering a range of theories—from a covert intelligence operation and a diplomatic stunt to an accidental violation of Russian airspace.

Analysts note that the incident arrives at a time of heightened tension between Moscow and Washington, following recent sanctions, cyber‑security accusations, and conflicting statements over military activities in Eastern Europe. While the United States has yet to issue an official comment, diplomatic experts caution that the episode could be leveraged by both sides to advance narrative agendas. The aircraft’s eventual fate—whether it will be allowed to leave Russia, undergo a technical inspection, or become the subject of a diplomatic dispute—remains unclear, and the Kremlin’s silence is likely to keep speculation alive for the foreseeable future.