US asked Ukraine to refrain from striking Moscow during CIA chief's visit, source says

Editor's note: The story has been updated with the latest details.

The U.S. asked Ukraine not to strike Moscow and St. Petersburg while CIA Director John Ratcliffe is visiting Russia, a person familiar with the situation told the Kyiv Independent on Aug. 25.

"They don't believe in the strength of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin's air defenses," they said, adding that Kyiv agreed to pause strikes against the cities between Aug. 24 and 26.

A U.S. official confirmed to the Kyiv Independent that Ratcliffe is scheduled to meet senior Russian officials, but it remains unclear what is on the agenda. The Kremlin has not officially commented on the visit.

This marks Ratcliffe's first known official trip to Russia. The CIA director has nevertheless maintained contact with his Russian counterpart, SVR chief Sergei Naryshkin, who has previously signaled readiness to meet the U.S. spy chief.

The Ukrainian side was told that a U.S. delegation would travel to Russia, but was not initially informed that Ratcliffe would be a part of it, a source told the Kyiv Independent.

Ukrainian officials are expected to receive a debrief after the trip, though it is unclear whether the CIA director will travel to Kyiv in person, they said.

Earlier on Aug. 25, the Flightradar24 tracking service reported that a U.S. Air Force C-17 military transport plane departed Riga in the morning and landed at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport at around 10 a.m. local time.

The plane was previously stationed at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland — the base also used by Air Force One and other planes carrying top U.S. officials.

Shortly after the plane landed, Moscow media shared footage of a convoy of cars with U.S. diplomatic license plates driving through the city.

The U.S. and Russia have seen intensified bilateral contacts since U.S. President Donald Trump took office last January and pledged to negotiate a peace settlement in Ukraine.

Despite repeated visits by Trump's peace envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to Moscow, the negotiations have effectively stalled as both Russia and Ukraine remain far apart on territorial issues.

Both Witkoff and Kushner were expected to make their first visits to Ukraine this week, but the trip was postponed.

A source denied earlier reports that the envoys delayed the trip due to intensified Russian attacks, noting that Trump wanted to keep the diplomats close due to the unresolved standoff with Iran.

Ukraine's top negotiator, Rustem Umerov, spoke by phone with Witkoff on Aug. 23, and the latter promised to eventually travel to Ukraine, they added.

Despite the deadlock in peace talks, Washington and Moscow continue to keep their diplomatic channels open, which on Aug. 11 helped to broker the release of former U.S. Marine Robert Gilman, who had been imprisoned in Russia for four years.

The CIA has previously played a role in prisoner exchanges between Russia and the U.S.