Ever since relations between the US and Russia took a downward turn in 2014, American and NATO surveillance aircraft have been regularly spotted flying close to either Russia’s borders or Russian military bases in Syria.
Several aviation enthusiasts have reported on Twitter that a US Air Force RQ-4B-40 Global Hawk reconnaissance drone was first spotted flying near the demarcation line in Donbass in Ukraine, then along the coast of the Crimean Peninsula on 7 May. The drone, with the call sign Forte 10, was launched from the Sigonella air base in Sicily, the Twitterians said.