 Russia brings Soviet-era M-55 Mystic-B recon aircraft back to service for war in Ukraine. The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence has warned that a Russian-Soviet-era spy plane appears to have been primed to be used against Ukrainian forces. The Maya Syschev M-55 or Mystic-B was developed in the USSR following the United States dominance in the field of reconnaissance during the 1950s. At the time, the US was deploying spy balloons above Russia and China and gathering crucial intelligence from over 60,000 feet out of the reach of Soviet aircraft. The USSR in turn tried to develop an aircraft that would reach the same heights as the reconnaissance balloons so that they could be destroyed. When a US U-2 spy plane itself capable of flying at 70,000 feet was shot down in 1960, however the USSR, the Soviets, were able to gain vital knowledge in high-altitude spy plane technology. Rather than developing a combat aircraft, the USSR set about developing its own spy plane which eventually produced the M-55. However, since the Cold War, M-55 aircraft have been deployed to carry out Earth Sciences research rather than any military missions. The latest warning of United Kingdom's Ministry of Defence has advised that an M-55 has been observed carrying a military reconnaissance pod and that Russia is likely considering bringing the high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft back into service.