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Russian military inspectors to make observation flight over US territory

The Russian aircraft will perform its flight along the agreed route

MOSCOW, August 12. /TASS/. Russian military inspectors will make an observation flight aboard a Tu-154MLK-1 aircraft over the US territory under the Open Skies Treaty, Russia’s Defense Ministry said in a statement posted on its website on Monday.

"The observation flight with a maximum range of up to 5,130 km will be conducted on August 11-19 from the Great Falls open skies airfield," the statement says.

The Russian aircraft will perform its flight along the agreed route. US experts will stay aboard the Tu-154MLK-1 aircraft to control the use of observation equipment, the statement says.

The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992. It embraces 34 member states. The key tasks of the treaty are to develop transparency, monitor the fulfillment of armament control agreements, and expand capabilities to prevent crises within the framework of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other international organizations.

The Treaty envisages the possible extension of the Open Skies regime to other areas of cooperation, such as environmental protection.