PRESS RELEASE

Russia Approves Overflights

March 18, 2014 (EIRNS)—Contrary to the Goebbels-like Western propaganda, Russia has shown it has nothing to hide. According to RIA Novosti, at the request of Ukraine, Russia will allow Ukrainian military inspectors to carry out emergency monitoring flights over Russian territory in line with the 2011 Vienna Document on confidence-and security-building measures. According to a March 17 Defense Ministry statement, this was the second of such requests. Russia initially agreed to allow Ukraine to carry out the flight under the Open Skies Treaty on March 17-24, but later reversed its decision, because Ukraine could not finance the mission. "In line with our obligations under the Vienna Document, we have agreed again to allow a Ukrainian group to inspect our territory," Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov said.

Antonov said that on March 18-20, Ukrainian military officials will inspect parts of the Belgorod and Kursk regions bordering on Ukraine to make sure that Russian armed forces are not involved in any kind of military activity threatening Ukraine’s security.

In addition, a group of military inspectors from the United States and Germany will fly above Russia and Belarus in the March 17-21 period on a similar monitoring mission, while a group of military officials from Estonia, France, and Belgium will inspect a paratrooper regiment from the Pskov division in line with the Vienna agreement.