Russia has started the process to withdraw from the Treaty of Open Skies. A spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry said that after the US withered from the treaty last November, there was no point in them maintaining the treaty. A vote in the Russian parliament is required to withdraw.

Russia, which did not wait for the vote, is also undergoing changes to the 2 Tu-214ON platform, which western countries use for observation in the Treaty of Open Skies. According to Russian media reports, the Tu-214ON will be converted into a reconnaissance plane.

The Tu-214ON’s, which are used for observation in treaty on Open Skies missions, feature equipment such as an A-84ON panoramic camera, an AK-111 topographic camera and radar for taking high-resolution aerial photographs.

The 2002 Treaty of Open Skies allows for a certain number of unarmed observation flights over the sovereignty areas of NATO countries and Russia. The United States withered out of the treaty last year, citing Russia’s violation of the set requirements.