- CIA Director John Ratcliffe was onboard a US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III military transport aircraft that landed at Moscow's Vnukovo International Airport, according to reports.
- CBS News and Axios both reported the visit by Donald Trump's former director of national intelligence who now runs the nation's spy agency.
- When asked, both the Department of War and Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said they did not have information about the aircraft.
- Flight tracking data indicates the aircraft originally departed from the Camp Springs airbase near Washington DC before arriving in Riga on 23 August.
- Direct flights by US-registered aircraft from Europe to Russia are exceptionally rare, with the last notable flight occurring in January for diplomatic talks.
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