U.S. planes use Ukraine's airspace

KYIV - U.S. aircraft have continued using Ukraine's airspace for the anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan, the Defense Ministry told the ITAR-TASS news agency on November 10.

Thus far, 227 C-17 military transport planes and five C-130 and KC-135 tanker aircraft have used Ukrainian airspace, primarily over the Black Sea, where transport planes were refueled.

ITAR-TASS reported that the flights were controlled by mixed groups of the regional air traffic control departments in Symferopol, Lviv and Odesa. The groups were manned by civil and military specialists with good command of English aviation terminology.

Ukrainian fighter jets are kept on alert on the ground, ready to provide assistance, if necessary, the Defense Ministry reported, adding that airfields in Kulbakino and Lviv would be opened to U.S. planes in case of emergency.

Copyright © The Ukrainian Weekly, November 18, 2001, No. 46, Vol. LXIX

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