Russia has conducted several observation flights over Canada and the U.S. using its Tu-154M and the more modern Tu-214ON planes. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov still described the U.S. decision to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty as "regrettable" and said it would have major negative consequences for the accord and for European security in general. "The United States has been and remains in full compliance with the Open Skies Treaty, unlike Russia," a State Department spokesperson told Radio Canada International. The Open Skies Treaty, which was signed in 1992 and came into effect in 2002, permits each of the 34 treaty members to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over the entire territories of other treaty members to collect data on military forces and activities. Treaty members also have to come up with a new quota system in time for the planned treaty review conference in October.

Source: CBC News July 10, 2020 23:15 UTC