U.S. reconnaissance plane circles over Russian Navy's flotilla in the Mediterranean
A U.S. Navy reconnaissance P-8A Poseidon aircraft monitored Russia’s flotilla in the Mediterranean Sea between Cyprus and Syria, Interfax reported, citing websites that track the movement of military aircraft.
The P-8A with tail number 158858 reportedly took off from the Sigonella airbase in Sicily and monitored the activities of the Russian flotilla, which is centered around Russia’s sole aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov.
The reconnaissance aircraft circled around the flotilla at an altitude of 6,400 meters approximately 60-80 km off the Syrian coast.
Last week, Navy P-8As were active near Russia’s military bases in Syria, and U.S. Air Force RC-135Ws were active near Russian military installations in the Baltic Sea.
Cases of US reconnaissance aircraft approaching Russian borders and military facilities have become more frequent over the last month, particularly near the coast of the Crimea, the Russian bases in Syria, as well as areas of the deployment of Russian naval warships in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.