US Asked Kyiv Not to Strike Moscow During Delegation Visit: Plane Carrying CIA Director Arrived in Russian Capital

Washington, according to available data, approached Kyiv with a request to refrain from strikes on Moscow in the coming days. The reason, sources claim, was the preparation for the stay of a delegation of US officials in the Russian capital. The statement came against the backdrop of a recorded arrival at Vnukovo Airport of a US military aircraft, on board of which, according to media reports, was CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

Arrival of the US Aircraft in Moscow

According to flight-tracking service Flightradar24, a US Boeing C-17 Globemaster III with tail number RCH4555 landed in Moscow. The aircraft touched down at Vnukovo Airport, after which a convoy with US diplomatic license plates drove through the Russian capital. According to the same service, the aircraft arrived in the capital from Riga, where it had in turn flown in on August 23 from Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland — the very base from which the planes of US President Donald Trump and other senior officials traditionally depart. The passenger manifest and the exact purpose of the visit were not officially disclosed at the time of publication.

Washington's Request to Kyiv

As it turned out, in recent days Washington had approached the Ukrainian side with a request not to attack Moscow. According to a source, the motivation was the delegation of US officials expected in the Russian capital, whose security, in the logic of the interlocutors, should be ensured during their stay in the city. This statement effectively ties the US diplomatic initiative to a specific time window and geographic object — Moscow.

The Kremlin's Position

The Kremlin, however, stated that it had no information about the arrival of the US aircraft. Russian leader's press secretary Dmitry Peskov added that no meetings with representatives of the White House were planned in these days. Thus, the official Moscow narrative is at odds with the aviation monitoring data and media reports about the delegation's arrival.

Contradictory Data

There are notable discrepancies between the versions of the parties. On the one hand, flight-tracking services record the landing of a US C-17 at Vnukovo and the movement of a convoy with diplomatic plates, while media report the arrival of CIA Director John Ratcliffe. On the other hand, the Kremlin claims it has no information about the landing and that no meetings with White House representatives were planned. Moreover, the nature of the visit is described differently in various sources: as "undeclared" and "secret," despite the conspicuous convoy with diplomatic plates. The purpose of the trip and the full passenger manifest remain unknown at the time of publication, which makes the picture incomplete and requires further verification.

Context: Who Is John Ratcliffe

According to media reports, CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow, who is described as a Trump ally, a China hawk, and a negotiator with Russia. If the fact of his presence is confirmed, the visit could become one of the few channels of direct contact between Washington and Moscow against the backdrop of the ongoing conflict over Ukraine. Nevertheless, until official statements from both sides, any interpretations remain speculative.