The key facts

  • Bombardier Artemis II has circled the Kaliningrad region for the third time since the beginning of the week, staying in the airspace of Poland and Lithuania
  • On Monday, the aircraft spent at least four hours in the area of the region
  • Earlier, a Boeing RC-135U Combat Sent that took off from the British Mildenhall airbase was recorded near Russian borders

Third flight in a week

The NATO reconnaissance aircraft Bombardier Artemis II has been spotted near the Kaliningrad region for the third time since the beginning of the week. A source in air traffic control services told TASS about this, reports Gazeta.Ru. According to the source, the aircraft is currently flying in a circular pattern around the region while staying in the airspace of Poland and Lithuania — that is, outside Russian airspace.

What is known about previous flights

The source recalled that the aircraft made similar flights last Wednesday and Monday; on Monday it spent at least four hours in the area of the Kaliningrad region. The aircraft was converted by the American company Leidos from a business jet for radar reconnaissance needs; at the end of September it already circled around the region for several hours.

Other aircraft near Russian borders

In addition to Artemis II, a US reconnaissance aircraft was spotted near Russian borders — the Boeing RC-135U Combat Sent: according to RIA Novosti, it took off from the British Mildenhall airbase at about 11:22 Moscow time, headed east, passed close to the Kaliningrad region while crossing Polish territory, and by 14:08 Moscow time crossed the border between Latvia and Estonia near the Russian border. Earlier, a German helicopter was also spotted near the Russian border.