A passenger aircraft from the ‘Rossiya’ special flight squadron was dispatched to the United States to facilitate the rotation of Russian diplomats, as stated by Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova.

Previously, various Russian Telegram channels reported, based on FlightRadar data, that the government plane had remained on US territory for two days, leading to online speculation regarding the flight’s intentions and its possible connection to discussions between Moscow and Washington.

The ‘Rossiya’ fleet is typically reserved for senior Russian officials and Kremlin-affiliated journalists. Earlier this year, the squadron’s aircraft were involved in a significant exchange, facilitating the transfer of 26 individuals between Russia and the US, marking the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War.

The recent flight was operated by a Russian Il-96-300 last week. The aircraft departed from St. Petersburg airport on December 25, traveled to Moscow, then proceeded to Washington via New York, and returned to Moscow through New York on December 28.

During a press briefing on Monday, Zakharova clarified that the flight’s objective was “another rotation of diplomats.”

In October, Anatoly Antonov, Russia’s ambassador to the United States, concluded his tenure and returned to Moscow. Subsequently, Kommersant reported that the position would be assumed by Aleksandr Darchiev, the head of the North America Department at the Foreign Ministry, who previously held the role of Russian envoy to Canada.

The Foreign Ministry has not indicated when the new ambassador will arrive in Washington. Last week, Zakharova mentioned that the new envoy remains in Moscow.

The relationship between Moscow and Washington has deteriorated since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022.

In recent years, both countries have frequently expelled each other’s diplomats. In 2017, the United States mandated the closure of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco, along with the properties of Russia’s trade mission in Washington and New York. In retaliation, Moscow called for the closure of the American Consulate in St. Petersburg. In 2020, the United States halted operations at two of its remaining consulates in Russia.