FBI Director Kash Patel arrived in Russia on Wednesday for an unannounced visit to hold meetings with Russian officials, according to U.S. television network MS NOW, citing two sources.
The visit was conducted in complete secrecy. Hours before Patel's arrival, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov declined to confirm or deny the report, stating that visits by foreign intelligence chiefs are traditionally not announced.
According to media reports, Patel's visit is scheduled to last two days and will include stops in both Moscow and Saint Petersburg. The specific agenda, participants, and any potential agreements were not detailed in initial reports.
In August, Reuters reported that Patel had established new channels of cooperation with law enforcement agencies in Russia and China to combat transnational crime. That development prompted concern within the U.S. intelligence community, as it represented a departure from Washington's previous policy approach.
The Atlantic reported on October 9 that FBI staff members had attempted to persuade Patel to cancel the visit. Following those efforts, two senior House Democrats sent Patel a letter urging him to reconsider the trip, citing national security considerations.
Peskov noted that visits by heads of foreign intelligence services are typically not publicized, explaining the Kremlin's initial silence on the matter. In early August, CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a secret visit to Moscow.
Patel's visit marks the first trip by an FBI director to Russia since 2013, when then-Director Robert Mueller traveled to Moscow to discuss the Boston Marathon bombings.
Reuters has not independently confirmed the report, and FBI representatives were unavailable for comment at the time of initial reporting.