MOSCOW (Sputnik) — Russia will limit the number of airfields that can be used by US surveillance aircraft within the framework of the Open Skies Treaty starting January 1, a source told Sputnik.
“The number of airfields available for the United States will be reduced starting January 1. It is a matter of bringing the list of airfields in line with the treaty. Such a step is a mirror response to the US-announced measures against Russia, which are also planned to be introduced in January,” the source said.
According to the source, such measures, in particular, included the intentions of the United States to close the airspace over Alaska and Hawaii to Russian observers and limit the range of flights.
Earlier, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that Russia would respond to US restrictions on the Open Skies Treaty, noting however that the treaty itself should be preserved.