A US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III military transport aircraft has landed at Sofia Airport, only days after Bulgarian authorities announced that American KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft temporarily deployed in the country had completed their activities and departed.
The presence of the large transport aircraft was first reported by aviation enthusiast Anton Balakchiev, who shared photos on Facebook showing the C-17 parked on the apron of the civilian airport. The images clearly show the distinctive heavy-lift military aircraft at the facility.
So far, there has been no official explanation from Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Transport, Sofia Airport, or the US Embassy regarding the purpose of the aircraft’s arrival. It remains unclear whether the landing was connected to a logistics operation, a transport mission, or another type of activity.
The appearance of the aircraft has triggered discussion online because it comes shortly after government statements that US military planes temporarily stationed in Bulgaria had already finished their missions and left the country. Prime Minister Rumen Radev had previously set the end of June as the deadline for the withdrawal of the American aircraft, following the issue surrounding the continuation of visa-free travel arrangements for Bulgarian citizens.
