CIA director John Ratcliffe flies to Moscow as mystery flight sparks WW3 panic

The mysterious flight sparked confusion. 15:20, Tue, Aug 25, 2026 Updated: 15:20, Tue, Aug 25, 2026 Ratcliffe (Image: Getty)CIA Director Ratcliffe reportedly travelled to Russia aboard a C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft for meetings in Moscow on Tuesday.MORE UPDATES TO FOLLOW... Get the latest news from around t

Unannounced trip reported by US media is said to be Ratcliffe’s first known visit to Russia as CIA chief The CIA director, John Ratcliffe, has made an unannounced visit to Moscow, US media reported, after flight data showed an American military aircraft flew to the Russian capital, where a US diplomatic motorcade was l

A US Air Force transport jet made a highly unusual landing in Moscow on Tuesday, sparking a frenzy of theories about its mysterious mission.

The reported visit comes as Ukraine-Russia peace talks have stalled.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe made an unannounced visit to Moscow, CBS News White House correspondent Jennifer Jacobs reported.

CIA director makes unannounced visit to Moscow to meet with Russian officials, source says  CNN

Data from Flightradar24 earlier showed a US military C-17 travelling from the United States to Latvia and then on to Moscow.

John Ratcliffe reportedly arrived in the Russian capital on Tuesday for meetings, in what appears to be his first visit to Russia as CIA director.

The CIA, Department of Defense and Air Force declined to comment.

CIA director John Ratcliffe is visiting Moscow on Tuesday for talks with Russian officials, two U.S. officials said. Why it matters: This is Ratcliffe's first trip to Moscow since he took office and the highest-level visit by a Trump administration official to Russia since January. Ahead of Ratcliffe's trip, the U.S

Ratcliffe is one of Trump's most trusted advisers and heavily involved with the Iran war, though it is unclear what he may be discussing with Russian leaders.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has traveled to Russia for meetings, according to people familiar with the matter, after the country’s state-run Tass news service reported a US military transport plane landed in Moscow on Tuesday.

The reports come after a U.S. military transport plane landed in the Russian capital, which the Kremlin claimed it knew nothing about.

A U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport plane was spotted at a Moscow airport, along with a U.S. diplomatic motorcade, according to public reports.

The C-17 plane was spotted landing in Moscow shortly before CBS News reporter Jennifer Jacobs reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had traveled to Moscow aboard a C-17.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Russia to holds talks in Moscow Tuesday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter.