My guess is that this whole American fighters in Moscow thing, either going through the Atlantic or Pacific, is an alternative strategy that is non-optimal. Very possibly somewhat effective since you’ll be shaking up your opponent who isn’t used to it, but at the end of the day, non-optimal. But fun wins out over “perfect” play any day.
It sounds like a plausible curveball against someone who prefers to run a general script / perfect play to get them out of their comfort zone.
Nothing more rewarding than taking advantage of mistakes because someone had their strategy rattled.