US to conduct surveillance flight over Russia

Moscow, Nov 26 (IANS/RIA Novosti) US inspectors will conduct an inspection flight over Russia under the Open Skies Treaty starting Monday, a Russian defence ministry spokesperson said.

"In the period from Nov 26 to Nov 30, as part of the international Open Skies Treaty, US representatives will conduct a surveillance flight on board a US [Boeing] OC-135B observation aircraft over the territory of the Russian Federation," the spokesperson said.

The flight will be made along the route coordinated earlier with Russian specialists, who will be on board of the aircraft monitoring implementation of agreements on the use of technical equipment for the observation, he said.

The Open Skies Treaty, signed in 1992 on an initiative of US president George H.W. Bush, established a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of its member states to promote openness and transparency of military forces and activities.

The treaty entered into force Jan 1, 2002 and its regime covers the national territories (land, islands, internal and territorial waters) of all 34 treaty signatory states. It is an important element of the European security structure.

–IANS/RIA Novosti