MOSCOW — Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow aboard a US Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport plane, according to flight tracking data. The aircraft landed at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport at approximately 07:04 GMT. The aircraft departed Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The aircraft stopped in Riga, Latvia, before proceeding to Moscow.

A spokesperson for Latvia’s Defense Ministry stated the flight was properly coordinated and authorized for operation within Latvian airspace. Footage posted on social media showed a US diplomatic motorcade traveling through Moscow. The aircraft departed Moscow shortly before 17:00 GMT.

Neither the US nor Russian governments confirmed the nature of the visit or the identity of the official. The CIA declined to comment on the trip. The White House and Pentagon declined to comment on the trip.

Ratcliffe has maintained contact with his Russian intelligence counterparts. Ratcliffe played a role in negotiations for the release of Ksenia Karelina, who was jailed in Russia for over a year. Ksenia Karelina was released in April 2025. The CIA was involved in a 2024 prisoner swap deal with Russia that saw the release of Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Alsu Kurmasheva.

Timeline

Former CIA Director William Burns traveled to Moscow in November 2021 and met with senior Russian officials and President Vladimir Putin. President Donald Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska last year.

The US asked Ukraine to halt drone and missile strikes in Moscow and other northern Russian cities from Monday through Wednesday ahead of Ratcliffe’s trip. CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow for meetings on Tuesday.

What's New

The flight originated from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey and flew to Joint Base Charleston in South Carolina. It continued to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland the next day before flying to Riga and then on to Moscow, defense-blog.com reported. A Boeing C-17A Globemaster III was seen at the Moscow airport. Russia is a strategic trading partner with Iran.

Why It Matters

This appears to be Ratcliffe's first known trip to Russia as CIA director. The visit comes as US-led peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have stalled. The US government declined to comment on the trip, leaving the nature of the meetings and the identity of any counterparts undisclosed.

The trip follows a pattern of high-level engagement between US and Russian officials despite ongoing tensions. Former CIA Director William Burns traveled to Moscow in November 2021 to meet with senior Russian officials and President Vladimir Putin. Ratcliffe has maintained contact with his Russian intelligence counterparts and played a role in negotiations for the release of prisoners, including Ksenia Karelina.