U.S. Resumes Reconnaissance Flights Over Black Sea After 11-Month Pause

The United States has restarted reconnaissance flights using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) over the Black Sea, ending an 11-month hiatus that followed a confrontation with a Russian fighter jet. On April 17, 2025, an American RQ-4B Global Hawk drone, identified by the call sign Forte10, conducted a mission in international airspace near Romania. Launched from the Sigonella air base in Sicily, the UAV flew at an altitude of 15.5 kilometers, gathering intelligence approximately 130 kilometers from the annexed region of Crimea.

U.S. drone operations over the Black Sea had been suspended since June 2024, after reports indicated that an RQ-4B Global Hawk had vanished from radar during a mission near Crimea. In July 2024, a Pentagon spokesman noted that the U.S. had adjusted flight routes due to “heightened risks” but emphasized that operations in international airspace would continue.

The renewed flights of the RQ-4B Global Hawk come amidst heightened diplomatic efforts to resolve the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. On May 19, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin engaged in a two-hour phone conversation to explore ceasefire possibilities. While no specific timeline for a ceasefire was established, Putin’s aide, Yuri Ushakov, reported that Trump expressed a desire to expedite negotiations. On the same day, Trump remarked that the conflict in Ukraine “should have remained a European problem,” while reaffirming the U.S. commitment to dialogue. Analysts suggest that the resumption of drone flights is aimed at gathering intelligence to monitor developments during the negotiations.

The reconnaissance capabilities of the RQ-4B Global Hawk, which include the collection of data on radio signals, communications, and troop movements, are crucial for supplying information to NATO and Ukraine. In 2024, missions conducted by American aircraft over the Black Sea frequently preceded Ukrainian strikes on targets in Crimea, leading to Russian accusations of intelligence sharing with Kyiv. However, the Pentagon denies any direct involvement in providing data for strikes on Russian territory.