Moscow: Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) Director Sergey Naryshkin on Thursday confirmed that he met with CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who arrived in Moscow earlier this week. In remarks to journalists in the Russian capital, Naryshkin described the meeting with Ratcliffe as 'nothing unusual,' saying their talks were 'part of our working format.'

According to Anadolu Agency, during the meeting, the two intelligence heads discussed several issues pertinent to their services. Naryshkin emphasized the delicate and specific nature of intelligence matters, highlighting the importance of such discussions. The Kremlin had earlier confirmed Ratcliffe's visit, stating it involved security service contacts, which they termed a "positive phenomenon, a positive process."

Flightradar24 data showed a US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flying from Riga, Latvia, to Moscow's Vnukovo Airport on Tuesday. The aircraft had previously arrived from Camp Springs, Maryland, and returned to Riga later that evening. CBS News reported that the CIA director's visit was for official meetings in the Russian capital.

Axios, referencing a source, reported that Washington informed Kyiv of a senior delegation's visit to Moscow. Consequently, Ukraine was requested to suspend strikes until the delegation departed. US President Donald Trump later described Ratcliffe's visit as "semi-routine," dismissing links to any potential Russian military threats against NATO or the UK.