Military
Pentagon sights Chinese spy balloon over US
A Chinese spy balloon hovers over Billings, Montana. photo
© Larry Mayer/The Billings Gazette/AP/dpa
The situation is being closely monitored. It is not the first incident of this kind.
The US military has spotted a Chinese spy balloon over northern US. The Pentagon announced on Thursday that the balloon was spotted over the state of Montana in the north-west of the United States. The trajectory of the balloon is closely followed. It is still over the United States, it said.
Shooting him down was considered, but decided against due to the danger of falling debris. After the discovery of the balloon, the government took immediate action to prevent the disclosure of sensitive information, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder said.
One is sure that the balloon comes from China, it said from the Pentagon. Similar incidents have happened in the past. The difference this time is that the balloon stays longer than usual over the United States. The balloon poses no military threat or danger to people on the ground, Ryder said. The balloon is also said to be safe for airplanes due to its high flight altitude. The US is in contact with China about the incident.