US spy planes fly over Ukraine to 'gather intelligence' on ground amid tension with Russia

A United States Airforce spy plane JSTARS E-8 was spotted flying on a reconnaissance mission over eastern Ukraine to gather intelligence just days after Russia ordered at least 10,000 troops to return to the defence base. The sighting followed after two US Air Force’s (USAF) surveillance planes were also spotted flying in the territory controlled by Russian-backed separatists just less than 40 miles. E-8C ground-surveillance plane and RC-135V signals are the first ever USAF to openly fly inside Ukrainian air space as tensions between Kyiv and Moscow are at an all time high. E-8C Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft surveillance was confirmed to CNN by Lt. Cmdr. Russ Wolfkiel a spokesman for US European Command. 

Planes 'stay clear' of Donbas region 

The network reported Wednesday that another spy plane was seen gathering intelligence about the situation on the ground, although the Pentagon did not comment on exactly what intelligence the aircraft was gathering but it flew with the permission of the Ukrainian government. The planes, however, stayed clear of the Donbas region where pro-Russian separatists caused the stir against the Ukrainian forces. Spy planes’ sensors are capable of gathering the military movements of both Ukraine and Russian forces up to 20,000 square miles area without entering the Russian airspace, CNN reported citing the Air Force fact sheet.

This comes as Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered aircraft carrier Harry S. Truman and its escort ships to stay in the Mediterranean area rather than sailing to the Middle East as part of US military's commitment to defend the Ukrainian region, according to the network. 

Tensions mounted between the two countries after Russia stationed close to 100,000 troops, 1,200 tanks and military weapons on the frontier with Ukraine. US intel revealed that President Vladimir Putin plans to invade Kyiv as early as 2022. U.S. citizens should be aware of reports that Russia is planning for significant military action against Ukraine,” US State Department warned in mid-December as US discussed diplomatic resolution to the conflict, threatening potential economic sanctions if Russia launched an offensive.

US President Joe Biden is expected to hold a telephonic dialogue with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this Thursday afternoon, "to discuss a range of topics, including upcoming diplomatic engagements with Russia," National Security Council spokesperson Emily Horne told CNN. Meanwhile the US defence official told Sputnik that the United States is retaining a nuclear aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean as reports of the military invasion by Russia are being taken seriously. Moscow, which has repeatedly denied the plan of Kyiv’s invasion, demanded that NATO remove its military from the parts of the eastern Europe and disengage with Ukraine as it is a threat to Moscow’s sovereign territory.