CIA Director John Ratcliffe secretly traveled to Russia — as mystery swirls over military flight landing in Moscow: reports

WASHINGTON — CIA Director John Ratcliffe is visiting Moscow Tuesday, according to reports — after a mysterious military flight landed in the Russian capital.

Ratcliffe arrived aboard a C-17 transport plane that departed Joint Base Andrews, a base outside Washington used for high-ranking official travel.

U.S. President Donald Trump and John Ratcliffe, Director of the CIA, speak as they depart after a Cabinet meeting. REUTERS

The plane stopped in Latvia en route to Moscow, with the Pentagon and White House initially declining to comment on who was aboard.

CBS News and Axios reported that it was Ratcliffe who made the trip.

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. Efforts to resolve the Russia-Ukraine war have been handled primarily by special envoy Steve Witkoff.