NATO reconnaissance aircraft spotted over southern Black Sea

A NATO Bombardier Artemis II reconnaissance aircraft was conducting a flight over international waters in the southern Black Sea on Saturday, September 12, according to a source in European Union air traffic control services cited by TASS.

“The flight of the NATO-owned Bombardier Artemis II aircraft has been recorded for the second time since the beginning of the month over international waters in the southern part of the Black Sea, where it is flying from west to east and back,” the source said.

The source noted that weekend flights by the aircraft are relatively uncommon, as it normally operates on weekdays.

According to the source, the Artemis II departed from its base airfield in Constanta, Romania, before entering international airspace via the BINBI waypoint. It was flying at an altitude of about 9.5 kilometres and did not enter the airspace of any coastal state.

TASS reported that the aircraft last flew over the Black Sea on September 10, remaining airborne for more than six hours.

The Artemis II also regularly operates over the Baltic states and conducts flights around the Kaliningrad region via Polish and Lithuanian airspace, without approaching the borders of Russia or Belarus.

By Tamilla Hasanova