CIA Director Ratcliffe makes secret trip to Moscow for meetings

CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings, according to multiple officials familiar with the situation. The trip was confirmed by CBS News and other outlets citing sources close to the matter.

Ratcliffe arrived aboard a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport aircraft that departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, a facility used for high-ranking official travel. Flightradar24 tracking data showed the military flight, numbered RCH4555, departed from Riga, Latvia on Tuesday morning before landing at Vnukovo International Airport, one of Moscow's four international airports located southwest of the city.

A U.S. diplomatic motorcade accompanied the aircraft at the Moscow airport. Neither the U.S. government nor Russian authorities have publicly commented on the identity of the American official or the purpose of the visit. The CIA, Department of Defense and U.S. Air Force all declined to comment when contacted by news organizations.

The visit appears to be Ratcliffe's first known trip to Russia in his capacity as CIA Director, though he has maintained contacts with Russian intelligence counterparts. The CIA has been involved in recent U.S.-Russia negotiations, including the April 2025 release of U.S.-Russian dual national Ksenia Karelina, whose case Ratcliffe personally negotiated. The agency was also involved in a 2024 prisoner exchange that secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan.

The trip comes amid ongoing U.S.-mediated peace talks with Ukraine that have largely stalled, with the parties maintaining divergent positions on key issues. The timing and purpose of Ratcliffe's Moscow meetings remain undisclosed by U.S. and Russian officials.