New footage shows a U.S. diplomatic motorcade moving through central Moscow under police escort, confirming the presence of CIA Director John Ratcliffe in the Russian capital for undisclosed meetings, The Washington Post reports. The motorcade, geolocated to Moscow's New Arbat Avenue, was filmed shortly after Ratcliffe's arrival aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17, as first reported by The Zioneer.
New footage that surfaced on social media and was geolocated by The Washington Post shows a U.S. diplomatic motorcade with police escort moving through central Moscow on New Arbat Avenue, visually confirming CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s presence in the Russian capital. The footage, recorded shortly after Ratcliffe’s arrival aboard a U.S. Air Force C-17, corroborates earlier reporting by The Zioneer that placed him in Moscow.
The visit unfolded rapidly on Tuesday. At 17:13 Jerusalem, Amichai Stein (i24NEWS) first reported that a CIA director was in Moscow and that the Trump administration had asked Ukraine to suspend drone and missile strikes on Russian cities for Monday–Wednesday to secure the visit. Minutes later, The Wall Street Journal confirmed the official was Ratcliffe, and at 20:27 Jerusalem The Zioneer reported that Washington had requested a three-day pause for the delegation. By 17:13, The Zioneer also reported that Ratcliffe’s plane had departed Moscow after only a few hours.
The trip marks the highest-level direct U.S.-Russia diplomatic contact since President Trump took office. The footage adds visual weight to reports of a sensitive backchannel, though the motorcade’s destination and Ratcliffe’s meeting partners remain undisclosed. No official statement has been issued by the White House or the CIA regarding the purpose or outcomes of the visit.
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