NATO increases reconnaissance flights near Crimea

The Russian news agency analyzed data from Flightradar24, an unclassified flight information aggregator, and focused on flights that could be used to monitor the Russian peninsula. Since the spring, that number has increased from seven flights a week to 21.

While European members of the US-led military bloc have carried out some of the flights, Washington is the main operator of NATO surveillance planes in the Black Sea region. RIA noted that US planes and drones, such as the RQ-4B Global Hawk, carried out 16 of the 21 flights last week.

The news comes amid debate in Russia about NATO’s role in facilitating Ukraine’s attack on Crimea. Kiev attacked a military shipyard in Sevastopol two weeks ago and the headquarters of Russia’s Black Sea Fleet in the same city last Friday.

Both operations used Storm Shadow missiles supplied by the UK. The US and its allies continue to provide intelligence to Ukraine as it attacks Russian targets. Information from Western partners “on radar, electronic warfare and air defense equipment” deployed by Russian forces has helped Ukraine launch numerous suicide drone attacks deep inside Russia, including in Moscow, The Economist reported last month.

Mikhail Sheremet, a Russian MP representing Crimea, has proposed targeting spy planes that are allegedly complicit in the Ukrainian attacks. “Strange things happen during or after (NATO) flights and I think it is not a coincidence. The attacks by drones and missiles by Ukrainian terrorists have begun,” he said.

“I believe that all NATO military surveillance aircraft and strategic UAVs over the Black Sea should be considered legitimate targets. They should be destroyed or forced to land,” the lawmaker added.

The US has previously accused Russian military pilots of “harassing” UAVs flying in international airspace over the Black Sea. One notable incident in March saw a US Air Force MQ-9 Reaper crash. Washington said a pair of Russian Su-27 fighter jets dumped fuel on the spy drone, while one Su-27 allegedly cut off its propeller. Moscow claimed the UAV had entered a restricted flight zone designated by Russia and that the crash was due to “sharp maneuvers” by its operator.

In light of the above situation, military analyst and Editor-in-Chief of the Russian Defense magazine Igor Korotchenko commented that the increasing frequency of NATO reconnaissance flights in the Black Sea region, including by UAVs, clearly shows that they are trying to locate Russian air defense systems in Crimea and other southern regions, and at the same time monitor the fleet's movements and carry out attack planning against targets on the peninsula, and at the same time, designate targets for Ukraine to attack the ships of the Black Sea Fleet.

Therefore, according to Mr. Igor Korotchenko, Russia's reasonable move in this situation is to establish a no-fly zone in the Black Sea area, where aircraft and UAVs are deployed to carry out electronic reconnaissance missions, to, if not completely eliminate them, then make it difficult to provide information and reconnaissance support to Ukraine from aircraft of the US and its allies./.