US ‘Open Skies’ Flights Over Russia Nearly Triple Russian Flights Over US

The United States has taken advantage of the 2002 Open Skies Treaty to observe Russia at almost three times the rate that Russia has used the treaty to observe US installations, the Department of State reported in a press release on Monday.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The treaty allows the United States and Russia to observe each other’s military and civilian installations under rules that limit the resolution of imaging equipment used by both nations, according to the release.

"The annual Open Skies Treaty flight plans (2002-2016) show 196 bids by the United States over Russia and 71 bids by Russia over the United States," the release noted.

Moreover, the treaty requires each nation to share collected images with the nation being observed, the release added.