Crimea Condemns US Drone's Reconnaissance Flight Near Russian Border, Calls It Impudent

Umer Jamshaid Published December 28, 2019 | 11:09 PM

Co-chairman of the Assembly of Slavic Peoples of Crimea, Roman Chegrinets, condemned on Saturday the US drone's reconnaissance flight in close proximity to the borders of the peninsula, calling it insolent

SIMFEROPOL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 28th December, 2019) Co-chairman of the Assembly of Slavic Peoples of Crimea, Roman Chegrinets, condemned on Saturday the US drone's reconnaissance flight in close proximity to the borders of the peninsula, calling it insolent.

A flight-tracking system PlaneRadar reported on Friday that the US strategic drone has conducted reconnaissance near the Crimean peninsula. In particular, the US Air Force RQ-4B-40 Global Hawk took off from a NATO air base on the island of Sicily, monitored the demarcation line in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbas, and then embarked on a reconnaissance flight along the Black Sea coast of Russia.

"Such flights are arrogant, which once again shows the entire world the duplicity and hypocrisy of US foreign policy," Chegrinets told Sputnik.

According to the official, Washington should concentrate on its domestic issues, rather than seek information from the borders of Crimea.

"If they [the United States] are so interested in the changes we have had on the peninsula in recent years, and the Crimeans do have something to show and be proud of, then they should send an official delegation to Crimea, coordinating the visit through the Russian Foreign Ministry," Chegrinets added.

Crimea rejoined Russia in the spring of 2014 after 97 percent of the peninsula's voters backed reunification in a referendum. Ukraine still considers the peninsula to be part of its territory, referring to it as temporarily occupied. Despite Kiev closing the airspace over the peninsula, flights in the area continue.

Moscow, in turn, insists that Crimea's residents decided to rejoin Russia through a democratic procedure in compliance with international law. According to President Vladimir Putin, the issue of the peninsula's territorial belonging is "historically closed."