Pentagon reveals US observation flight over Ukraine

By ROBERT BURNS
December 6, 2018

WASHINGTON (AP) — An unarmed U.S. Air Force plane with American and international observers flew a special flight over Ukraine Thursday in a show of solidarity after Ukraine’s naval confrontation last month with Russia in the Black Sea, the Pentagon said.

In a statement, the Pentagon called it an “extraordinary” flight under the Open Skies Treaty, which is an international accord that gives each member country the right to conduct, and the obligation to accept, unarmed military observation flights. The purpose to is promote transparency in military activities.

Normally these flights are arranged well in advance. But the treaty also permits “extraordinary,” or extra, flights if two participating members agree. In this case, the Ukrainian military requested a flight and the U.S. agreed to conduct it over an uncontested portion of Ukraine territory, according to Eric Pahon, a Pentagon spokesman.

Pahon said this was the first “extraordinary” Open Skies flight since 2014 in response to Russia’s annexation of Crimea.

The Navy, meanwhile, is expected to sail a warship into the Black Sea later this month, a passage that American ships have done a number of times this year. The transit would be another signal of military support for Ukraine.

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