CIA chief in Moscow for unannounced talks, US media reports

ByJoe Coughlan and Daniel Bush, Washington correspondent.

Key points

• It departed Riga airport at 05: 50 GMT and appears to have landed at around 07: 04 GMT, according to data from FlightRadar24.
• The US has had strained relations with Russia since it introduced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
• Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska last year but the session did not lead to a breakthrough.
• The head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has travelled to Moscow for unannounced discussions, the BBC's US news partner CBS has noted.
• Footage posted on social media indicated the C-17 transport plane approaching Moscow's Vnukovo international airport.

For context, the head of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has travelled to Moscow for unannounced discussions, the BBC's US news partner CBS has noted.

John Ratcliffe reportedly arrived in the Russian capital earlier on Tuesday. Neither Washington or Moscow have confirmed the nature of the visit or who he was due to meet. In-person discussions between high-level American and Russian office-holders are rare. BBC News has contacted the White House and Pentagon for comment.

Flight tracking data confirmed a sizeable US military aircraft travelled to Russia from the US via Latvia on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the trip is thought to be Ratcliffe's first trip to Russia as CIA director.

He played a role in negotiations for the release of Russian-American citizen Ksenia Karelina's. This person was jailed in Russia for over a year after being accused of providing backing to Ukraine.

As well as former US marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, the CIA was additionally involved in a 2024 prisoner swap agreement with Russia that saw the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich.

Meanwhile, the US has had strained relations with Russia since it introduced a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Since then, Russia has been isolated on the world stage and faced international economic sanctions.

Ratcliffe appears to be one of the highest-ranking US authorities to visit the country during President Donald Trump's second term.

Trump met Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Alaska last year but the session did not lead to a breakthrough. Subsequent US-led peace discussions between Russia and Ukraine appear to have stalled. Extra reporting by BBC Verify.

In short, CIA chief in Moscow for unannounced talks, US media reports is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.