U.S. Surveillance Drone Circles Black Sea Near Russian Coastline
SIMFEROPOL, Crimea – August 31, 2025 – A U.S. Air Force RQ-4 Global Hawk reconnaissance drone is currently operating in the airspace over the Black Sea, closely monitoring Russia’s southern flank.Telegram news channels first reported the activity, identifying the drone with the call sign Forte10 as it flew a circular pattern between Sevastopol and Sochi.
The drone’s presence underscores heightened surveillance activity in the region amid ongoing geopolitical tensions. The RQ-4 Global Hawk, capable of operating at altitudes up to 18,000 meters and covering distances exceeding 23,000 kilometers, departed from NATO’s Sigonella naval air base in Sicily for this mission. This deployment follows a similar flight path near Russia’s northwestern borders-over the Leningrad and Pskov regions and Estonian airspace-where the drone traveled 151 kilometers along the Russian Federation’s boundary. The continued monitoring suggests a sustained U.S. interest in observing Russian military movements and activity in strategically vital areas.
