CIA boss travels to Russia for mystery talks

| Live News Reporter Published August 26, 2026 9:34am Updated August 26, 2026 9:34am Photos of what appeared to be an American motorcade were shared in Moscow(Pictures: Getty/AFP) Questions have been raised after the head of the CIA reportedly travelled to Moscow for undisclosed talks. CBS reported that John Ratcliffe arrived in Russia early Tuesday morning, when photos of American diplomatic cars were taken. Neither Washington nor Moscow has commented on the nature of the visit, but in-person discussions between officials from the two nations are very rare. Flight data showed a large American transport plane leaving Latvia early Tuesday morning and returning just before 5pm. The visit may have focused on ‘escalation management’ (Picture: Getty) Questions surround the mystery talks. Former British military attaché John Foreman, who worked in Moscow for years, told BBC Radio 4 this morning that the visit may have focused on ‘escalation management’. Sign up for all of the latest stories Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens. ‘The Americans don’t normally send such a high-ranking official to Moscow unannounced at short notice unless something is up,’ he explained. Russia has been launching hundreds of drones and covert UAVs across Britain and Europe from their shadow fleet in recent years. The International Institute of Strategic Studies issued a sobering report in which they found Vladimir Putin’s shadow fleet ships sent drones into Britain and Europe, targeting airports, bases and nuclear sites. The reported meeting between the CIA and the Kremlin could be concerning these reports. Among the sites affected by the spy drones were RAF Fairford, Feltwell, Lakenheath and Mildenhall, and dozens of sites across continental Europe. ‘We assess it is likely that Russian-linked vessels and the ‘shadow fleet’ were used as launch or recovery platforms for UAVs as part of the Kremlin’s wider unconventional war on Europe,’ they warned. Since 2024, mystery drone sightings have plagued airports, military bases and civilian areas as Russia increasingly tests the limits of its spyware. ‘The Kremlin was likely able to map reaction times, coverage gaps and limitations across European integrated air defences,’ the IISS added. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Mother and daughter, two, die after being struck by lightning Arrow MORE: Trump wants to change name of Lake Ontario to ‘Lake America’ Arrow MORE: Major retailer apologises for selling ‘racist’ children’s fancy-dress costume after backlash News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.