US RQ-4 Global Hawk drone
© AP Photo/ Northrop Grumman via U.S. Navy, Erik Hildebrandt
An American reconnaissance drone overflew the contact line in the Donbass for 10 hours. It was able to observe all the territory of the two self-proclaimed republics, plus the border regions of Russia.

A US strategic drone RQ-4A Global Hawk, with the call sign UAVGH000, carried out a reconnaissance flight Sunday that lasted nearly 10 hours over the contact line in the Donbass conflict zone, announced Western sites following the flights of military aviation.

During the flight, the drone followed the line of contact between Ukraine and the self-proclaimed republics of Donetsk and Lugansk without crossing it. The reconnaissance aircraft flew at an altitude of 15,500 m (51,000 feet).

As the drone can do reconnaissance with a radius of 300 km, it was able to observe all the territory of the self-proclaimed republics, plus the border regions of Russia.

According to open sources, the craft is capable of patrolling for 30 hours at an altitude of 15,000 to 18,000 m.

The American aircraft took off from the base of Sigonella, Sicily, and overflew Romania.

Overflights of the contact line were also recorded on October 15, November 14, and 16 December 2 and 16.

Note: A BUK launched by the Ukrainian army landed in Makeevka January 31, apparently attempting to destroy such a reconnaissance drone: BUK.