Russia's Zakharova clarifies government jet’s arrival in New York: "Just a routine diplomatic flight"

The Russian Foreign Ministry has clarified reports about the recent arrival of an Il-96 aircraft belonging to the special flight detachment "Rossiya" in the United States.

The ministry’s spokesperson, Maria Zakharova, told the Russian news agency TASS on June 26 that the flight carried diplomats and was part of routine personnel rotations, Caliber.Az reports.

Zakharova said that this was “a routine outbound flight,” one that occurs several times annually. “It transports new staff to Washington and New York,” she explained, “and on the return journey, it brings back employees returning from their assignments.”

According to data from Flightradar24, flight RA-96018 departed from Saint Petersburg at approximately 11:30 a.m. on June 25 and landed in New York after about 11 hours in the air. Prior to the flight, no official announcements were made regarding any visits by Russian officials to the U.S. during this period.

The statement aims to address speculation about the purpose of the flight amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. The use of the Il-96 aircraft, operated by the Russian government’s special flight unit, is standard for official diplomatic travel.

No further details have been provided about the identities of the diplomats or the duration of their stay.

By Khagan Isayev