KIEV, March 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry considers Russia’s conditions for making observations flights over its territory excessive.
Ukraine sent an inquiry to the Russian Defense Ministry on March 11 to conduct an extraordinary air inspection that would prove no military threat was posed to Ukraine. Russia agreed.
However, Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevgen Perebyinis said, “Although Russia would agree to conduct an extraordinary observation flight over its territory, its conditions are absolutely excessive and make the flight impossible.” That is why Ukraine addressed Russia through the OSCE to revise the conditions.
“We hope that Russia will respond to Ukraine’s request to change the conditions, which will make the flight possible,” the spokesman said.
On March 12, Russian Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said Russia allowed Ukraine to make an observation flight in order to confirm that Russia’s Armed Forces did not threaten Ukraine.
The deputy minister said on March 11, Ukraine requested the Russian Defense Ministry to make the so-called “extraordinary observation flight over Russia’s territory”. “This is the first request since the signing of the Treaty on Open Skies in 1992. Although we have no obligations we’ve agreed to allow Ukraine to make such flight,” Antonov said.