CIA Director John Ratcliffe is in Moscow for meetings, according to sources familiar with the situation who spoke to CBS News on Tuesday. According to the same sources, Ratcliffe is believed to have been the mysterious passenger aboard the US Air Force military aircraft — a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III — which landed earlier today at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. The American official is also reportedly linked to a US diplomatic motorcade spotted in the Russian capital.
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So far, neither the American nor the Russian government has commented on the identity of the US official currently in Moscow, nor has either side provided any information about the purpose of the visit. The CIA, for its part, did not immediately offer any comment.
The US aircraft flew direct from Riga
Earlier today, a US Armed Forces transport aircraft landed at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport, according to data from the flight-tracking service Flightradar24.
The US-registered Boeing Globemaster, tail number 07-7181, flew directly from Riga, Latvia, landing in Moscow at approximately 10:00 a.m. Greek time. The Kremlin stated that it had no information regarding the aircraft.
Ratcliffe’s first known trip to Russia as CIA director
This appears to be Ratcliffe’s first known visit to Russia since taking the helm of the CIA, although he has maintained contact with Russian counterparts in the intelligence community.
The CIA has also played a role in recent US-Russia prisoner exchanges, including the April 2025 release of Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American dual national — a case in which Ratcliffe personally led negotiations.
The agency was also involved in the 2024 prisoner swap that secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and veteran US Marine Paul Whelan.
Former CIA Director William Burns traveled to Moscow in November 2021, where he met with senior Russian officials and spoke directly with President Vladimir Putin, warning him against invading Ukraine.
Ratcliffe’s visit comes as US-mediated peace talks over Ukraine remain largely stalled, with both sides still far apart on key issues.
