CIA director travels to Moscow for unannounced meetings

CIA Director John Ratcliffe flew to Moscow on August 25, 2026, for unannounced meetings with Russian officials. His military transport plane left Andrews Air Force Base near Washington and stopped in Latvia before landing at Vnukovo Airport. Reporters spotted a group of American diplomats arriving at the airport. Neither the U.S. nor Russian governments have confirmed the visit, and the CIA has not commented. It is not known who Ratcliffe met or what was discussed. This is his first trip to Russia since he became CIA director. The last CIA director to visit Moscow was William Burns in November 2021, when he travelled there to warn Russia about its planned military action against Ukraine.