Who was aboard mystery US aircraft that landed in Russia? Report reveals

A US Air Force C-17 military transport aircraft landed at Russia's Moscow Vnukovo Airport on Tuesday, sparking speculation over the identity of its passengers and the reason for the flight at a time when US-Russia contact regarding the Ukraine conflict has diminished. According to Axios, CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with Russian officials, based on information from two US officials.

Ratcliffe had departed Washington on Sunday, first traveling to Latvia aboard a US government aircraft before transferring to a C-17 aircraft in Riga for the final leg of his journey to Moscow. CBS News corroborated this account, citing sources familiar with the situation. If confirmed, this would be Ratcliffe's first known visit to Russia since becoming CIA director and the highest-level trip by a Trump administration official to the country since January.

The reports emerged following the sighting of a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III at Vnukovo airport, accompanied by a US diplomatic convoy. Reuters cited Flightradar24 data indicating the aircraft, registered as 07-7181, had flown directly from Riga to Moscow, touching down at around 0700 GMT. The timing of the flight raised questions as the Kremlin reportedly had no knowledge of the aircraft's presence and stated there were no scheduled meetings with US administration officials in Moscow for the week.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov reiterated this stance to Newsweek. However, Axios suggested that Washington had notified Ukraine of a senior delegation's arrival in Moscow and urged Kyiv to halt strikes until the delegation had departed. Ratcliffe's reported visit coincides with ongoing US efforts to mediate an end to the Ukraine war, which remain largely stalled.

CBS also noted the CIA's involvement in recent US-Russia detainee exchanges, including the release of Ksenia Karelina in April 2025 and the prisoner swap in 2024 that freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former US Marine Paul Whelan.