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Russian defense experts to make observation flight over UK

MOSCOW, April 22, /ITAR-TASS/. Russian specialists are expected to make an observation flight on an Antonov-30 turboprop over the territory of the UK in the framework of the Treaty on Open Skies, Sergei Ryzhov, the chief of Russia’s National Center for the Reduction of Nuclear Threat told reporters Monday.

“The observation flight will be performed in the period of April 22 to April 23 from the Open Skies airbase at Brize Norton and will cover a maximum range of up to 2,400 kilometers,” he said. “The observation flight will be performed for the purpose of greater openness of the Open Skies Treaty signatory countries.”

The Russian aircraft Antonov-30, which is meant to aerial observation and photography, will make the flight along a route coordinated with the British side and UK experts will control utilization of equipment aboard and compliance with the provisions of the Treaty.

“This is the ninth observation flight in 2014 that representatives of the Russian Federation are making over the territories of countries, which are signatories of the Treaty on Open Skies,” Ryzhov said.

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