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U.S. spy plane tracked circling over Russian airspace near Kaliningrad — report

09.10.2025 13:50
A U.S. Air Force RC-135U reconnaissance jet was tracked circling over Russian airspace after departing England and looping around Kaliningrad before returning to Britain, according to flight-tracking data and media reports.
According to a U.S. Air Force description, the RC-135U provides strategic intelligence to the U.S. president, the secretary of war and senior Defense Department officials.
According to a U.S. Air Force description, the RC-135U provides strategic intelligence to the U.S. president, the secretary of war and senior Defense Department officials. Photo: EPA/HITOSHI MAESHIRO

Flight data showed the RC-135U Combat Sent left England early Tuesday, flew over the Baltic states, orbited the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad and then headed back to the United Kingdom.

The Daily Mail said the aircraft took off from RAF Mildenhall at 2:32 a.m. Eastern Time, and landed at 9:36 a.m.

The mission came a day after German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Russia of waging “hybrid warfare” against Germany, blaming President Vladimir Putin for reconnaissance drones that disrupted operations at Munich airport. The reason for Tuesday’s flight was not disclosed.

FlightRadar24 recorded the same aircraft on Oct. 2, the day drones appeared over Munich’s airport, noting it also launched from England and circled over the Kaliningrad region.

According to a U.S. Air Force description, the RC-135U provides strategic intelligence to the U.S. president, the secretary of war and senior Defense Department officials. By locating and identifying foreign radar signals from land, sea and air forces, the aircraft collects and analyzes each system and produces strategic assessments for the military.

All RC-135U aircraft are fitted for aerial refueling, giving them effectively unlimited range, and carry advanced communications and navigation suites. They are identifiable by chin and wing tip antennas, large fairings along the fuselage and an extended tail.

Typical crews include two pilots, a navigator, two airborne systems engineers, at least ten electronic warfare officers known as “Ravens,” and additional technical specialists.

The platform records and analyzes electronic emissions from foreign radar and communications systems, allowing analysts to map adversary capabilities and develop countermeasures.

(jh)

Source: RMF24, Daily Mail