An American Bombardier ARTEMIS II reconnaissance aircraft circled near the borders of the Kaliningrad region of Russia for more than three hours, RIA Novosti reports. The aircraft took off from Romania and headed north.
Flight data shows that the aircraft made a turn near the Polish city of Augustow at approximately 10:40 Bulgarian time. Since then, it has been continuously circling the Russian region. The final destination of the reconnaissance aircraft remains unknown.
The Bombardier ARTEMIS II was converted from a business jet by the American company Leidos specifically for the purposes of radar reconnaissance. This military variant is regularly used for flights near the Kaliningrad region, as well as over the Black Sea off the coast of Crimea and along Russia's southern borders.
In recent years, Moscow has observed unprecedented activity by NATO forces near the country's western borders. The North Atlantic Alliance is expanding its initiatives as part of measures to deter Russian aggression. Russian authorities have repeatedly expressed concern about the buildup of Alliance military forces in Europe.
Two days earlier, a British Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft carried out a patrol flight near the Kaliningrad region.
A day earlier, a NATO Saab 340B ISR reconnaissance aircraft flew along the borders of the Russian region.
In mid-September, an American Bombardier ARTEMIS II aircraft circled over Polish territory near the Russian borders.