A US Air Force aircraft appears to have entered Russian airspace, according to flight tracker data. The Air Force RCH4555 flight was spotted entering Russia from Latvia on the Flightradar24 map.
Flight path details
The data on the website confirmed that the Air Force flight left Riga this morning, but the destination remained undisclosed. Despite the map showing the aircraft in Russia, this has not been confirmed at the moment. In another update, Flightradar24 said the "US Air Force C-17A Globemaster III flew from Riga to Moscow's Vnukovo Airport".
Details about the aircraft's previous flights indicate that it originated in the US on 22 August, departing Wrightstown and landing in Charleston. The following day, the aircraft left Charleston for Camp Springs, then flew to Riga, Latvia. All three US locations host military bases.
Recent drone incidents in Latvia
Back in June, the Latvian National Armed Forces announced on Monday morning that NATO aircraft shot down a drone after it entered the country's airspace. The National Armed Forces of Latvia then confirmed NATO jets "successfully shot down a drone".
In May, Latvia's armed forces responded to a similar incident during which an unidentified drone entered the country. It was unclear where the drone originated, but at the time, it marked the third consecutive day Latvia had declared a drone-related air alert.
Fears over Russia-NATO tensions
There have been fears recently that Russian President Vladimir Putin could escalate his confrontation with the West by targeting towns or cities in NATO countries. British former Army officer Hamish de Bretton-Gordon said the Russian leader might consider a "small incursion" into Latvia or Estonia, adding that he is "already targeting us with hybrid warfare - cyber and espionage".
Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania have all strengthened their border defences against Russia and its ally Belarus.
