At a time when U.S.-Russian relations are said to have deteriorated to Cold War levels, it was announced Monday that Russia will conduct an observation flight over the U.S. in an attempt to promote transparency in military activities, reported Sputnik News.
The flight, being launched from Travis Air Force Base in California and covering a maximum of 2,640 miles, is taking place as part of the Treaty on Open Skies, and will occur between Dec. 8 and Dec. 13, announced Sergei Ryzhkov, head of Russia's National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center.
"Within the framework of the international Treaty on Open Skies a group of Russian inspectors plans to conduct an observation flight on a Russian Tupolev Tu-154M-LK-1 observation aircraft over the territory of the United States," Ryzhkov told Sputnik.
A group of U.S. specialists will also be on the flight to monitor and ensure that the rules of the treaty are not violated, reported the International Business Times.
The Treaty on open Skies, according to the U.S. Department of State, "establishes a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the territories of its signatories. The Treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants, regardless of size, a direct role in gathering information through aerial imaging on military forces and activities of concern to them. Open Skies is one of the most wide-ranging international arms control efforts to date to promote openness and transparency in military forces and activities."
The treaty was signed in March 1992 in Helsinki, Finland, and was initiated on Jan. 1, 2002. Russia ratified the treaty on May 26, 2001, according to Sputnik.
A U.S. military plane is said to have conducted similar surveillance flights over Russia last month, where it captured pictures of military equipment, reported International Business Times Australia.
The announcement comes as the European Union and the U.S. continue to impose economic sanctions against Russia for its perceived involvement in eastern Ukraine. Just last week, the U.S House authorized lethal aid to be sent to the Ukrainian military to assist in their fight against pro-Russian separatists.
