Moscow (Russia), March 6: A Russian Tu-214ON plane designed for carrying out reconnaissance missions under the Open Skies Treaty has carried out a flight as part of performing its new tasks to inspect the camouflage of Russian military facilities in Crimea and the Krasnodar Region, a military and diplomatic source told Sputnik.
The mission was also carried out to test the air defense systems of these regions.
In January, two military-diplomatic sources told Sputnik that two Russian Tu-214ON planes would be converted into reconnaissance aircraft after Russia completely withdrew from the Treaty on Open Skies.
"One of the Tu-214ON reconnaissance planes carried out on Thursday an observation flight from the military airfield near Taganrog along the coasts of the Krasnodar Region and Crimea. Its main task was to check the camouflage and security of the military facilities, units and formations, including the Sevastopol and Novorossiysk naval bases deployed there," the source said.
"The plane has also tested the capability of the regional air defense system to detect air targets in a passive location mode as well as performed a number of other tasks," the source added.
Source: Sputnik