US Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe is visiting Moscow for meetings, US media said on Tuesday, after flight data showed an American military aircraft flew to the Russian capital.
CBS News quoted sources familiar with the situation as confirming Ratcliffe’s trip, saying it was his first known visit to Russia as CIA chief. Axios separately confirmed it, quoting a US official.
There was no immediate comment from the CIA or the White House. It was unclear if the meetings were about US efforts to end Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Earlier, data from Flightradar24 showed a US military C-17 travelling from the United States to Latvia and then on to Moscow.
The Boeing C-17 Globemaster III plane arrived at Vnukovo airport in the Russian capital around 10 am after stopping in Latvia en route from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, flight tracking data showed. The Boeing C-17A Globemaster III is a premier strategic transport aircraft used by the United States Air Force for the rapid delivery of troops and all types of cargo.
What Russia said
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, declined to comment on the aircraft. The Kremlin has no meetings planned with US administration officials this week, he told reporters.
John Ratcliffe‘s reported visit comes as US-brokered talks aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have stalled. But Moscow earlier this month freed a former US Marine detained since 2022 amid concerns about his health.
Following the start of the Ukraine war, the US, along with its European allies, has imposed economic sanctions on Moscow. These include a reciprocal ban on aircraft. Russian planes are prohibited from entering US and EU airspace, and Russia has similarly closed its skies to “unfriendly nations.”
