Military drones from Sicily flying recon missions over Ukraine, Black Sea

American military drones at Sigonella have been flying recon missions over Ukraine

The Global Hawk drone can fly for 24 hours at altitudes much higher than conventional aircraft
The Global Hawk drone can fly for 24 hours at altitudes much higher than conventional aircraft

American military drones departing from the Sigonella airbase in Sicily have carried out reconnaissance missions over Ukraine and the Black Sea.

The Global Hawk drone, Forte 12, was the only aircraft seen taking a flightpath over the Black Sea on flight tracking website Flight Radar 24.

The drone departed from the Sigonella airbase in the early hours of Friday and was expected to remain airborne over the Black sea until the evening, La Sicilia reports.

Flight tracking website, Flight Radar 24, showing the military drone's flight path from Sicily to the Black Sea
Flight tracking website, Flight Radar 24, showing the military drone's flight path from Sicily to the Black Sea

The reconnaissance mission appears to be observing the manoeuvres of the Russian military fleet in the Black Sea, which has provided firepower for the invasion of Ukraine from the south.

A day earlier, another drone, Forte 10, flew deep into Ukrainian territory to observe Russian troop movements.

Russia invaded Ukraine from three different fronts on Thursday and its soldiers arrived in the suburbs of the capital Kyiv by Friday morning.

NATO has strengthened its forces in eastern members, which have borders with Ukraine and Russia but has said it will not intervene militarily in Ukraine.

Italy is a NATO member and Sigonella in Sicily is an important airbase for the alliance.

The Global Hawk drones can stay airborne for 24 hours and are guided remotely from the Sigonella airbase.

The drones are capable of flying at altitudes higher than conventional aircraft and carry sophisticated radar equipment that can take images of the terrain even through cloud and tree cover.