Media: US reconnaissance aircraft spotted over Black Sea

A U.S. Bombardier Challenger 650 Artemis II reconnaissance and target-designation aircraft has reportedly been observed operating over the neutral waters of the Black Sea, according to a source cited by Russian state news agency TASS.

The source, described as being within European Union air traffic control services, said the aircraft is typically based at an airfield in Constanța, Romania, from where it conducts frequent flights toward the Black Sea region and the Baltic states.

The aircraft has recently been seen operating over the international waters of the Black Sea, with flight patterns including turns near the Romanian-Ukrainian border. The source said this represents a change from earlier routes, when similar manoeuvres were conducted closer to Constanța.

The aircraft reportedly operates outside civilian aviation corridors and does not enter the airspace of any country other than Romania, the source added. It was also said to transit the region via controlled airspace coordination points managed by regional air traffic authorities.

The same aircraft has previously been observed near the Kaliningrad region, operating over the Baltic Sea and through airspace corridors involving Lithuania and Poland, according to the source.

By Sabina Mammadli