(VOVWORLD) - Russia is preparing to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty, which allows member nations to make unarmed surveillance flights over each other’s territory, a Russian Foreign Ministry statement said Friday.
The planned withdrawal was due to the lack of progress in removing obstacles to the continuation of contractual operations after the US withdrawal last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
The Open Skies Treaty was signed in 1992 and officially took effect in 2002, allowing observation flights over military facilities of 35 member countries. However, Russa and the US have continuously accused each other of violating the agreement.