WASHINGTON, July 11 (RIA Novosti, Arkady Orlov) - On Monday, Russia will conduct its second observation flight this year over America and take photographs of U.S. territory within the framework of the Open Skies Treaty, the U.S. State Department said.
The department's press service said an unarmed Russian Tu-154, which had been certified under the agreement, would land on July 11 at an international airport in Washington, D.C.
From Washington the plane will take off for Wright-Patterson Air Force base in Ohio, where it will later start the observation flight.
The 4,900-kilometer flight will follow a route chosen by the Russian side in advance.
The Russian aircraft is equipped with optical cameras and the United States will later receive copies of the material taken during the mission, the department said.
According to the U.S. State Department, Russia has a right to take photographs anywhere in America along the selected route.
Russia is conducting the mission with Belarus and an accompanying group from the U.S. Department of the Defense will be on board the Tu-154.
This observation flight will be Russia's fourth since the Open Skies Treaty came into force on January 1, 2002 and the second since the beginning of this year.
The United States has carried out 19 observation flights over Russia and Belarus.
