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Moscow gave permission to Kiev for an inspection flight over the border region between the two countries, Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday, in an apparent effort to clear concerns that Russia is building up military presence there.
The announcement came as a response to Kiev's request made earlier this week for an "extraordinary inspection mission" over Russian territory, in line with the Treaty on Open Skies signed in 1992.
Under the treaty, Russia and Ukraine are entitled to dispatch surveillance flights over each other's territories.
"Despite that we have no obligations to give permission to a Ukrainian plane, we decided to allow the group of observers to carry out such a flight," Deputy Defense Minister Anatoly Antonov told reporters here.
This will be the first time for Ukraine to conduct an inspection flight under that treaty.
"We expect our neighbors to find no military activity near the border threatening Ukraine's security," the Interfax news agency quoted Antonov as saying.
On Wednesday, Ukrainian acting Defense Minister Igor Tenyukh said the Ukrainian armed forces were ready to repel a possible external aggression against their country on the eastern and southern borders.
Since the outbreak of the political turmoil, Kiev has been accusing Moscow of inciting separatist sentiments and deteriorating the situation in Crimea by increasing military troops in the peninsula, an accusation denied by Moscow.
Crimea, a Russia-leaning autonomous republic of Ukraine, was set to hold a referendum over its future status on Sunday.
