Alleged espionage: Pentagon photo shows balloon before launch

The US Department of Defense has released a photo of a Chinese spy balloon shortly before launch. Debris from the balloon is currently being evaluated by the FBI.

Pentagon releases photo of Chinese spy balloon According to the US Department of Defense, it shows a balloon hovering over the US mainland on February 3.

This photo was taken from the cockpit of a US military spy plane. A day later, the US military shot down a Chinese balloon over the Atlantic off the coast of South Carolina.

Garbage will be assessed

The balloon recovery was completed last weekend. The debris is now being evaluated by the FBI’s Counterintelligence Agency. “Most of the balloons, including the cargo, have been recovered,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said. He declined to give any further details on his assessment of the wreckage and referred it to the FBI.

The United States has accused China of using the balloon to spy on military bases. Beijing, on the other hand, talks about a civilian research balloon.

The incident added to the already strained relationship. US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and China’s top foreign policy chief Wang Yi met on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference last weekend. However, initially, there were no signs of relaxation later.