A surveillance plane carrying 30 US and British military personnel is stranded in Siberia after making an 'emergency landing'.
The US government Boeing aircraft, which was conducting surveillance work over Russia, was forced to land in Chita, near Mongolia, due to fog at their destination.
Dozens of military staff are now stuck at the airport as the plane has been barred from taking off due to a bizarre and unprecedented dispute over airport fees.
‘The plane will not leave Chita until the crew pays the technical service and refuelling bills,’ said Alexei Turskov, of Chita airport according to The Siberian Times.
‘All the computation documents have been sent to Moscow and it won't be allowed to take off until the bills for services and fuels are repaid.’
Russian news agency Itar-Tass said the Boeing made an ‘emergency landing’ in Chita after being refused its scheduled stop in Ulan-Ude, another Siberian airport, due to thick fog.
The plane landed on early Thursday and is not expected to be allowed to leave immediately.
A total of 30 people including the crew are staying aboard the jet, said Russian officials.
‘We satisfied some of their requests and provided a room and hot meals for them,’ said Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Anatoly Kotelnikov. ‘They spent the night on the airport compound.’
Some of the crew - which may have included personnel with high security rankings - are understood to have remained on the plane, while others left the aircraft to use facilities supplied on ‘humanitarian grounds’ by the Russians.
The dispute over airport fees appears unprecedented on such a flight.
A RIA Novosti report said the crew of the Boeing aircraft were undergoing migration and border control.
Foreign observation planes flying over Russia have the right to land at only two airports in the country: one in Moscow Region, and one outside the Siberian city of Ulan Ude, said the news agency.
There was no immediate comment from the US or British authorities.
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