Russia is seeking permission to fly planes equipped with high-powered digital cameras over the United States.

Russia will ask for permission from the Open Skies Consultative Commission, headquartered in Vienna, to fly planes equipped with high-resolution digital cameras over the United States, according to a U.S. congress staffer.

Russia and the United States are both signatories to the Open Skies Treaty, which was signed in 1992. The treaty allows unarmed aerial surveillance flights over the entire territory of all participants in order to promote transparency about military forces and activities, help monitor the implementation of international arms control agreements and avoid tensions created by suspicion. However, senior intelligence and military officials worry that Russia is taking advantage of the surveillance flights to collect intelligence on the United States.