A massive drone attack has reportedly started on Moscow hours after CIA Director John Ratcliffe left the Russian capital. Local sources have reported that Russian air defenses are active in the Kursk region, and airports in Moscow have also been put on alert.
Social media reports of the attack
One social media user posted: "Jet drones are massively attacking Russia. Air defense is actively working in the Kursk region - there is a possibility of a breakthrough to Moscow, airports there have already been closed."
Another added: "Huge Ukrainian drone attack toward Moscow and Southern Russia tonight just hours after the CIA director Ratcliffe left."
Ratcliffe's unannounced visit to Moscow
The attack comes after Ratcliffe's unannounced visit to Moscow. The US reportedly notified Ukraine ahead of the visit and asked Kyiv to hold off on standoff drone and missile strikes against Russia until the visit ended, per Axios.
Flight data showed a US military aircraft flew to the Russian capital, where a US diplomatic motorcade was subsequently seen. Social media users used flight tracking systems to monitor the flight's movements, which sparked confusion when people realised the American aircraft had entered Russian airspace.
Flight details and context
FlightRadar24 data showed that a Boeing C-17A Globemaster III approached Vnukovo International Airport in Moscow. It had taken off from Riga, Latvia two hours earlier. The aircraft left the US Air Force's Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Sunday afternoon.
The reported visit comes after US-brokered talks to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine struggled to make progress, but the reason for the alleged visit is unclear. Some speculation has focused on the war in Iran. The Trump administration asked Kyiv to pause its long-range strikes on major Russian cities during the visit, according to the Financial Times.
