Close encounter on the Black Sea

The USAF Northrop Grumman RQ-4B (reg. 10-2045, callsign FORTE10), departed from NAS Sigonella, is operating a surveillance mission over the Black Sea.

A Russian Air Force Ilyushin Il-96-300 (reg. RA-96019, flight number RSD8 ) is carrying Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov from Moscow Vnukovo to Antalya.

The two aircraft crossed paths over the Black Sea where they were less than 30 km apart.

The Russian and Ukrainian foreign ministers will Thursday hold face-to-face talks in southern Turkey in the first high-level contact between Kyiv and Moscow since Russia invaded its neighbour two weeks ago.