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(https://www.cbsnews.com/team/jennifer-jacobs/) Read Full Bio   (https://www.cbsnews.com/team/jennifer-jacobs/) Jennifer  Jacobs ,   Olivia  Gazis ,      (https://www.cbsnews.com/team/oliviavictoria/) (Olivia  Gazis)  Olivia  Gazis   Olivia Gazis covers intelligence and international security matters for CBS News. Twice Emmy-nominated, she has traveled worldwide with the secretary of state and contributes reporting on intelligence, foreign policy and other security topics across CBS News broadcast, radio, online and streaming platforms.  (https://www.cbsnews.com/team/oliviavictoria/) Read Full Bio   (https://www.cbsnews.com/team/oliviavictoria/) Olivia  Gazis ,   James  LaPorta      (https://www.cbsnews.com/team/james-laporta/) (James  LaPorta)  James  LaPorta National security coordinating producer   James LaPorta is the national security coordinating producer for the CBS News' Washington bureau. He is a former U.S. Marine veteran infantryman and veteran of the Afghanistan war.  (https://www.cbsnews.com/team/james-laporta/) Read Full Bio   (https://www.cbsnews.com/team/james-laporta/) James  LaPorta    Updated on:  August 25, 2026 / 7:45 PM EDT / CBS News    (https://www.google.com/preferences/source?q=cbsnews.com)   Add CBS News on Google     CIA Director John Ratcliffe is in Moscow, Russia, for meetings, sources familiar with the situation told CBS News on Tuesday. News of his trip comes after a U.S. Air Force Boeing C-17A Globemaster III transport plane was spotted at a Moscow airport, along with a U.S. diplomatic motorcade. Neither the U.S. nor Russian governments has commented on the identity of the U.S. official in Russia or the purpose of the visit. The CIA did not immediately comment.  It appears to be Ratcliffe's first known trip to Russia as CIA director, though he has maintained contact with Russian intelligence counterparts.  Ahead of Ratcliffe's trip, the U.S. told Ukraine that a senior delegation would be traveling to Moscow and asked it to suspend strikes until the delegation's departure, according to a senior Ukrainian official. Ratcliffe's visit comes as recent U.S. intelligence assessments indicate that Putin's risk calculus may be shifting, with the Russian leader potentially increasingly willing to authorize provocative actions against NATO members — including hybrid operations and other deniable measures short of conventional military action — in order to test the resolve of the alliance and the Trump administration. At this time, U.S.-mediated peace talks with Ukraine remain mostly stalled, with the sides still far apart on core issues.   The CIA has played a role in recent U.S.-Russia detainee exchanges, including the April 2025 release of a U.S.-Russian dual national (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/russia-frees-american-ksenia-karelina-prisoner-swap/) Ksenia Karelina , whose case Ratcliffe personally negotiated. The agency was also involved in the 2024 prisoner exchange that secured the release of Wall Street Journal reporter (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-russia-prisoner-swap-frees-americans-evan-gershkovich-paul-whelan/) Evan Gershkovich and Marine veteran Paul Whelan.  Former CIA Director William Burns (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cia-director-meets-in-moscow-with-top-russian-official-amid-heightened-tensions/) traveled to Moscow in November 2021, when he met with senior Russian officials and spoke directly with President Vladimir Putin to warn him against invading Ukraine.  (https://www.cbsnews.com/team/aidan-stretch/) Aidan  Stretch contributed to this report.   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Republicans Are Next.  ()        In: (https://www.cbsnews.com/tag/central-intelligence-agency/) Central Intelligence Agency  (https://www.cbsnews.com/tag/russia/) Russia  (https://www.cbsnews.com/tag/john-ratcliffe/) John Ratcliffe      © 2026 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.        (Video: CIA Director John Ratcliffe visits Russia, on what was a secret trip)   (https://www.cbsnews.com/video/cia-director-john-ratcliffe-visits-russia-what-secret-trip/)    CIA Director John Ratcliffe visits Russia, on what was a secret trip 01:20    CIA Director John Ratcliffe visits Russia, on what was a secret trip  (01:20)     (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/3-secret-service-officials-put-on-leave-investigation-potential-misconduct/?intcid=CNR-01-0623)   3 Secret Service officials put on leave amid probe into "potential misconduct"  ()     (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-officer-venezuelan-immigrant-minneapolis-shooting-criminal-charges/?intcid=CNR-01-0623)   Feds consider charging ICE officer accused of shooting immigrant in Minnesota  ()     (https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-judge-conviction-sentence/?intcid=CNR-01-0623)   Judge rejects Ghislaine Maxwell's effort to overturn sex-trafficking conviction  ()     (https://www.thefp.com/p/i-served-in-the-cias-zero-units-in-afghanistan?utm_source=cbs_news&utm_campaign=cbs_news_recirculation&utm_content=right_rail)   I Served in the CIA’s Zero Units in Afghanistan  ()                               Featured  (https://www.cbsnews.com/politics/) Political News  (https://www.cbsnews.com/us-iran-tensions/) Iran War Latest  (https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/nfl-hot-seat-2026-players-coaches-all-32-teams/) NFL Hot Seat 2026  (https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/buss-family-sells-lakers-stake-ending-era/) Lakers Ownership   Follow Us On  (https://www.youtube.com/CBSNews/) YouTube  (https://www.facebook.com/CBSNews/) Facebook  (https://instagram.com/cbsnews/) Instagram  (https://x.com/CBSNews/) X   Privacy  (https://www.viacomcbsprivacy.com/policy) Privacy Policy  (https://privacy.paramount.com/en/policy#additional-information-us-states) California Notice  (index.html#onetrust-pc-sdk) Your Privacy Choices  (https://legal.paramount.com/us/en/cbsi/terms-of-use) Terms of Use  (https://privacy.paramount.com/childrens) Minors' Privacy Policy   More from CBS News  (https://www.cbsnews.com/newsletters/) Newsletters  (https://www.cbsnews.com/podcasts/) Podcasts  (https://www.cbsnews.com/app/) Download Our App  (https://www.cbsnews.com/brandstudio/) Brand Studio  (https://www.cbsnews.com/sitemap/) Sitemap   Company  (https://www.paramount.com/about/) About Paramount  (https://www.paramount.com/about/businesses/advertising) Advertise With Paramount  (https://pages.beamery.com/paramount/page/cbsnewsstations) Join Our Talent Community  (https://help.cbsnews.com/s/) Help  (https://www.cbs.com/showfeedback/) Feedback  (https://ombudsman.cbsnews.com/) Contact the Ombudsman    Copyright ©2026 CBS Interactive Inc. 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