CIA Director's Secret Moscow Visit Confirmed, Kremlin Says No Putin Meeting

In late August 2026, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret trip to Moscow, where he met with Russian intelligence officials, according to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. Peskov said the visit was a contact between intelligence services and that no meeting with President Vladimir Putin was planned. He did not disclose the topics discussed but said Putin was informed of the results.

Russian officials described the visit as useful, while some US media speculated that Ratcliffe may have warned Putin about Russian war preparations. Around the same time, several US "doomsday planes" were spotted in American skies, though no connection to the Moscow trip has been confirmed.