Moscow, Aug 25 (V7N)- A US military Boeing C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft unexpectedly landed at Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow, fueling speculation over a possible high-level US-Russia meeting.
The Kremlin initially said it had no information about the purpose of the aircraft's arrival. Hours later, US media outlet CBS reported that CIA Director John Ratcliffe had travelled to Moscow to attend a secret meeting.
Neither Washington nor Moscow has officially confirmed the purpose of Ratcliffe's reported visit or disclosed which Russian officials he may meet.
Flight-tracking data also reportedly indicated Ratcliffe's presence in Moscow. On Tuesday, the US military aircraft that had travelled from the United States via Latvia departed Russia and returned to Latvia.
A video circulating on social media also showed a diplomatic convoy moving through Moscow. However, it has not been independently verified whether Ratcliffe was travelling in the convoy.
A senior Ukrainian official told CBS that Washington had informed Kyiv ahead of the visit that a high-level US delegation would travel to Moscow. The official also claimed that Ukraine had been asked to refrain from launching attacks until the delegation had left Russia.
If confirmed, the visit would reportedly be Ratcliffe's first trip to Russia since becoming CIA director. However, he is believed to have maintained regular communication with Russian intelligence officials.
Former British military officer John Foreman, who served in Moscow, said the visit could have been aimed at de-escalating tensions. He also suggested that recent speculation over possible Russian involvement in drone activity in Germany could have been among the issues discussed.
"The United States does not normally send such a high-level official to Moscow on such short notice, in secret, unless something happens," Foreman told BBC Radio 4's PM programme.
Another possible objective, he said, could be negotiations over the release of American citizens detained in Russia.
Ratcliffe previously played a role in negotiations that led to the release of Ksenia Karelina, a Russian-American citizen who had been imprisoned in Russia for more than a year after being convicted of supporting Ukraine.
The CIA also played a significant role in the 2024 Russia-US prisoner exchange, which resulted in the release of several detainees, including Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan, and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
US-Russia relations have remained severely strained since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, followed by extensive Western sanctions against Moscow.
Ratcliffe would be among the highest-ranking US officials to visit Russia since Donald Trump returned to the White House for a second term.
Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska last year, but the meeting failed to produce a major breakthrough. Subsequent US-backed peace efforts between Russia and Ukraine have also largely stalled.
END/SMA/AJ
