US military aircraft lands in Russian capital as Washington and Moscow remain silent over purpose of rare high-level visit
MOSCOW: CIA Director John Ratcliffe travelled to Moscow on Tuesday for previously unannounced talks, marking a rare visit by a senior American official to Russia amid strained relations between the two countries.
CBS, the BBC’s US news partner, reported that Ratcliffe arrived in the Russian capital earlier Tuesday. However, neither Washington nor Moscow immediately confirmed the purpose of his visit or disclosed which Russian officials he planned to meet.
The trip is believed to represent Ratcliffe’s first visit to Russia since becoming CIA director and makes him one of the highest-ranking US officials to travel to Moscow during President Donald Trump’s second term.
US Military Aircraft Tracked to Moscow
Meanwhile, flight-tracking data showed a large US military aircraft travelling from the United States to Russia through Latvia on Tuesday.
Social media footage also appeared to show a C-17 military transport aircraft approaching Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport.
According to FlightRadar24 data cited in reports, the aircraft departed Riga at 05:50 GMT and apparently landed in Moscow at approximately 07:04 GMT.
Nevertheless, US officials have not publicly established whether the aircraft’s arrival was directly connected with Ratcliffe’s reported visit.
Ratcliffe Previously Involved in Prisoner Negotiations
Ratcliffe previously participated in negotiations that secured the release of Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina after Russian authorities imprisoned her over accusations of supporting Ukraine.
Furthermore, the CIA participated in a major 2024 prisoner exchange involving Russia that secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
US-Russian relations have remained deeply strained since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin during an Alaska summit last year, but the talks produced no major breakthrough.
Meanwhile, subsequent US-led efforts to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine conflict have apparently stalled, adding significance to Ratcliffe’s unexpected Moscow visit.
