Central Intelligence Agency Director John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow on Tuesday for unannounced talks, marking his first visit to Russia since taking office.
A US Air Force C-17 transport aircraft flew directly from Riga, Latvia, landing at Moscow's Vnukovo airport around 07:00 GMT, according to flight tracking data. The aircraft had arrived in Riga on 23 August from a US base near Washington. The United States reportedly informed Ukraine that a senior delegation was heading to Moscow.
The trip represents the first direct US-registered flight to Russia from Europe since January, when special envoys Steven Witkoff and Jared Kushner made the journey. Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, declined to comment on the reports. The last known visit by a CIA director to Russia occurred in November 2021.