DistantNews
Support us
CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on a secret US command aircraft
🇬🇷 Greece /Conflict & Security

CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on a secret US command aircraft

From Ta Nea · () Greek

Translated from Greek and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III equipped with a classified airborne command center.
  • The aircraft, featuring a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), allowed for secure, classified communications within Russian airspace.
  • The visit marked Ratcliffe's first known in-person trip to Russia since assuming leadership of the CIA, though neither the US nor Russian governments commented on its purpose.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe arrived in Moscow on a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III, a specialized aircraft carrying the latest classified airborne command center. The plane was equipped with a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF), a secure unit designed to manage highly classified information during flight. This allowed Ratcliffe to conduct classified communications even while in Russian airspace.

The flight originated from Riga, Latvia, and was tracked by aviation enthusiasts and intelligence analysts. Flightradar24 data showed the C-17A Globemaster III, call sign RCH4555, departed Riga at 08:50 Moscow time and landed at Vnukovo Airport at 10:04 local time. Social media videos captured the aircraft's final approach, with one observer humorously remarking, "We are being attacked."

CBS News was the first to confirm the purpose of the flight, citing sources familiar with the matter who stated Ratcliffe was in Russia for meetings. This marked his first known in-person visit to the country since he took the helm of the CIA. However, neither the US nor Russian governments offered official comments on the nature or purpose of the visit. The CIA also declined to comment, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov stated to journalists that he had no information regarding the visit.

We are being attacked.

— OnlookerCommentary heard in social media video of the aircraft's final approach.
About this summary

Originally published by Ta Nea in Greek. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog