CIA Director Arrives in Moscow for ‘Meetings,’ Reports Say

CIA Director John Ratcliffe landed in Moscow on Tuesday, according to reports from Axios and CBS News. The intelligence chief was set to engage in a series of meetings during his visit to the Russian capital, sources familiar with the trip revealed. The news of Ratcliffe's rare visit in Moscow emerged just hours after the Kremlin denied any information regarding a Boeing C-17 Globemaster landing at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport.

Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 indicated that the large U.S. military transport plane had departed from Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., made a stop in Riga, Latvia, on August 23, before proceeding to Moscow on Tuesday.

U.S. officials have not issued any official statements regarding Ratcliffe's visit, and the U.S. Embassy in Moscow declined to comment on the matter. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later acknowledged the visit in remarks to The Washington Post, stating that Ratcliffe's trip aimed at "contacts between security services," rather than a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. Peskov did not provide additional details about the purpose of the visit.

A source from The Kyiv Independent claimed that the United States had requested Ukraine to cease its strikes on Moscow and St. Petersburg prior to Ratcliffe's trip. The source further added that Ukraine would be informed about the American intelligence chief's meetings in Russia. It has been more than two years since the last time a CIA director visited Russia, which took place in November 2021.

Former Director William Burns met with Nikolai Patrushev, who was then serving as the secretary of Russia’s Security Council, during that meeting.

Since his appointment in January 2025, Ratcliffe has maintained regular communication with his Russian counterpart, SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin. This visit by a senior American official marks the first known trip to Russia since U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with President Vladimir Putin in January, discussing Ukraine peace negotiations.

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's pledge to broker an end to Russia's full-scale war against Ukraine, both sides have escalated airstrikes deep within each other's territory this summer.

In July, it was reported that FBI Director Kash Patel was also planning a trip to Russia later this year. The Moscow Times, a news outlet facing challenges under the Russian authorities, issued a statement expressing their refusal to be silenced. The newspaper has been branded as an "undesirable organization" by Russia's Prosecutor General's Office, leading to criminalization and potential prosecution for their staff.

The journalists of The Moscow Times insist on providing accurate, unbiased reporting, despite the repressive actions taken against them. They urge readers to support their work by contributing to their cause, starting at just $2, to continue providing independent journalism in the face of repression.