NATO reconnaissance plane circles near Ukraine's western border After Russian strike with Oreshnik

A NATO Boeing E-3B Sentry reconnaissance aircraft is flying near Ukraine’s western border, the Telegram channel Voennaya Khronika reports.

"Apparently, NATO's AWACS have settled near Ukraine's western border for some time. At this moment, the electronic intelligence aircraft Boeing E-3B Sentry, callsign NATO15 and registered in Luxembourg as LX-N90444, is circling over Lublin, just 180 km from Lviv,” the post reads, per Caliber.Az.

The plane was reportedly detected in this area shortly after Russia struck Ukraine with the Oreshnik ballistic missile.

For the record, Russia used the Oreshnik ballistic missile as part of a massive strike on Ukraine on the night of January 8 to 9, killing four people and injuring 25 others in Kyiv. It is only the second time that Moscow has used the Oreshnik, which was first deployed to hit the central city of Dnipro in November 2024. Russia's defence ministry said the strike was a response to an alleged Ukrainian drone attack targeting Vladimir Putin's residence in late December,

The E-3 Sentry is a NATO-operated surveillance platform based on a modified Boeing 707 airframe. It features a prominent 30-foot rotating radar dome capable of detecting aircraft, missiles, and ground targets up to 400 km away while flying at high altitude. NATO's fleet is primarily based in Geilenkirchen, Germany, but deploys for missions across Europe. This specific aircraft has a history of routine patrols over Eastern Europe.

By Khagan Isayev