In the US, they announced a strange balloon over the country

The US military has been tracking a suspected Chinese reconnaissance balloon over the north of the United States for several days. The corresponding statement was made by Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder.

"The American government has discovered and is tracking a high–altitude observation probe that is right now over the continental United States," RIA Novosti quoted him as saying.

Ryder noted that the authorities have already taken emergency measures to protect classified information immediately after the discovery of the probe.

The aircraft itself arrived from the Aleutian Islands. On the way, the balloon crossed the territory of Canada.

The US authorities believe that shooting down a suspected Chinese reconnaissance balloon fixed over the north of the United States would be dangerous because of its size. This was stated by a high-ranking Pentagon representative.

"According to our estimates, it is large enough that the debris will cause damage if we shoot it down," said the official, whose words were quoted in the Pentagon press service.

He clarified that on the eve of the military considered the possibility of shooting down the balloon "over some sparsely populated areas in Montana," but they could not reduce the risk for this operation.

"We have no doubt that this is a Chinese balloon. <...> Why didn't we shoot him down? We must assess the risks and benefits," the representative of the department added.

According to the military, the balloon does not pose a danger to aviation.

"Does he pose a significant, increased threat from the point of view of intelligence? According to our assessment, this is not the case now," the official explained.

Because of this, it was recommended not to shoot down the balloon yet, since its fragments can cause material damage to objects on the ground.

On February 2, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green said that US President Joe Biden should immediately shoot down "China's spy balloon" in the sky over the country.

Earlier it was reported that the US military has been tracking a suspected Chinese reconnaissance balloon over the north of the United States for several days. The corresponding statement was made by Pentagon Press Secretary Patrick Ryder.

The aircraft itself arrived from the Aleutian Islands. On the way, the balloon crossed the territory of Canada.