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

Aug. 25, 2026 Tomás Del Coro (CC BY-SA 4.0) CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on Tuesday aboard a U.S. military transport plane, Axios and CBS News reported, with sources familiar with the trip saying that the intelligence chief is slated to hold a series of “meetings” in the Russian capital. News of the visit broke just hours after the Kremlin told journalists it had no information about a Boeing C-17 Globemaster landing at Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. Flight-tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the large U.S. military transport plane flew from Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C., stopping in Riga, Latvia, on Aug. 23 before continuing to Moscow on Tuesday. Neither U.S. nor Russian officials have yet to officially comment on Ratcliffe’s reported visit. The Moscow Times contacted the U.S. Embassy in Moscow for comment. The last time a CIA director visited Russia was in November 2021, just months before President Vladimir Putin ordered the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. At that meeting, former Director William Burns met with Nikolai Patrushev, who was then serving as secretary of Russia’s Security Council. Ratcliffe’s visit, if confirmed, would mark the first known trip to Russia by a senior American official since U.S. special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner met with President Vladimir Putin in January to discuss Ukraine peace negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump has vowed to broker an end to Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine. However, the American president has struggled to bring Moscow and Kyiv toward a compromise, as both sides ramp up airstrikes deep inside each other’s territory this summer. In July, sources told Politico that FBI Director Kash Patel was planning a trip to Moscow and St. Petersburg in October. Read more about: United States Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more U.S. Jails Russian Businessman for Smuggling Military-Grade Electronics Maxim Marchenko, who lived and operated several companies in Hong Kong, was arrested in September and pleaded guilty to smuggling and money laundering... 1 Min read Russian Antivirus Firm Kaspersky to Wind Down U.S. Operations The company, which provides a popular antivirus software, has been operating in the U.S. for nearly two decades. 1 Min read U.S. Man Jailed in Russia Says Being Tortured by Fellow Inmates Robert Gilman claimed that his cellmates in a Voronezh penal colony regularly disturbed his sleep, took away his clothes and beat him. 1 Min read Kremlin Officials Wishing for a Trump Victory — While Claiming Otherwise With his surprise support for Biden in February, Putin was actually trying to harm the Democratic candidate, Russian officials told The Moscow Times. 5 Min read