US reconnaissance aircraft spotted near Russian border

A US Air Force strategic reconnaissance aircraft was reportedly spotted near Russia’s northern border, RIA Novosti reports, citing flight-tracking data.

The Boeing RC-135W Rivet Joint, designed for electronic and signals intelligence missions, reportedly took off from a US air base in the UK.

At around 8:00 a.m. on September 5, the aircraft was transmitting a signal while flying over Norway. A tanker aircraft was reportedly operating alongside it.

The RC-135W later reached the Barents Sea at around 9:00 a.m., where it was located several hundred kilometres from Russian territory.

At approximately 1:00 p.m., the aircraft transmitted another signal while operating several hundred kilometres from the Russian-Norwegian border, according to the report.

The aircraft returned to its UK base at around 4:00 p.m.

By Vugar Khalilov