Putin’s spy planes are flying over Britain – and the MoD’s so cool with it they’re even hosting Russian pilots in Oxfordshire

VLADIMIR Putin's spy planes are flying strategic reconnaissance missions over the UK and the Ministry of Defence is absolutely fine with it.

In fact they're so relaxed that they are even putting up Russian pilots in Oxfordshire  as part of the "Open Skies" treaty.

The agreement was originally conceived  during Cold War as an attempt to let the US and USSR observe one another's preparations for nuclear war in an attempt to de-escalate the threat from both sides.

Although the idea was originally dismissed, it carried on being suggested till 2002 when it was signed by a raft of nations including Britain, The USA, Russia and a host of NATO and former Soviet countries.

The treaty allows any signatory to request pictures form the latest overflight of any other country as a deterrent to member states setting up new missile stations or nuclear enrichment plants.

The US government describes Open Skies as a way of establishing " a regime of unarmed aerial observation flights over the entire territory of its participants.

"The Treaty is designed to enhance mutual understanding and confidence by giving all participants, regardless of size, a direct role in gathering information about areas of concern to them.”

The MoD has said in the past of the programme: " When Open Skies flights occur over the UK, we always have RAF representatives onboard – and the UK always gets to see all the photos which were taken on the flight.

"So why do we do it? The opportunity to observe each others’ territories is invaluable for transparency and the development of international trust between nations. In addition, aside from observing their work in the sky, we also get to interact professionally and to learn more about the culture of the nation in question; in this instance interacting with our Russian counterparts."