CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on Tuesday for unannounced meetings with Russian officials, according to multiple U.S. media reports citing people familiar with the matter.

The visit was not publicly disclosed by the U.S. or Russian governments. Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport plane departing from Riga, Latvia, and landing at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport early Tuesday before departing later the same day. A U.S. diplomatic motorcade was also observed in the city.

This marks the first known trip to Russia by Ratcliffe since he became CIA director in January 2025 under President Donald Trump. It is the highest-level in-person visit by a Trump administration official to Russia since January.

The last prior visit by a CIA director to Moscow occurred in November 2021, when William Burns met with Russian officials including President Vladimir Putin.

U.S. officials asked Ukraine to suspend strikes on targets inside Russia, including Moscow and St. Petersburg, ahead of the trip, according to a source familiar with the matter. The pause was requested from Monday through Wednesday.

Neither the CIA nor the White House commented on the visit or its purpose. The Kremlin also did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Reports indicate the meetings focused on topics that remain undisclosed.

The trip comes during Russia's fifth year of war in Ukraine, with peace negotiations largely stalled. It also follows recent U.S. actions to increase economic pressure on Iran through secondary sanctions targeting countries that maintain business ties with Tehran.

U.S. intelligence assessments have noted potential shifts in Russian risk calculations, including possible provocative actions against NATO members short of direct conflict.