MOSCOW, April 22. /TASS/. A group of Russian inspectors will conduct an observation flight over the United States’ territory on April 22-27, Head of the National Nuclear Risk Reduction Center Sergey Ryzhkov said, according to Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper.
"In the framework of implementing the international Treaty on Open Skies a Russian group of inspectors plans to perform an observation flight on a Russian aircraft Tu-214ON over the United States’ territory," the newspaper writes on Monday.
US specialists onboard the Russian aircraft will ensure control over the compliance with the rules on using surveillance equipment and provisions envisaged by the treaty.
Besides, on April 23-27 Russia will carry out an observation flight over Poland’s territory onboard the AN-30 B aircraft, which has a maximum flight range of 1,400 km.
The Treaty on Open Skies was signed in Helsinki on March 24, 1992, by the member-states of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and went into force on January 1, 2002. The accord includes 34 countries, among them, most NATO members, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Georgia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sweden and Finland. The purpose of the deal is to help build confidence between countries through the improvement of mechanisms to control military activities and compliance with arms control agreements.
