A U.S. spy plane allegedly approached the Russian airbase in western Syria on Thursday, July 25 before disappearing off the Levantine country’s coast, Avia.Pro reported.

According to the report, a U.S. P-8A Poseidon approached the Hmeimim Airbase from its western flank, but the aircraft would turn away before reaching the Syrian coast.

The publication said the aircraft was likely conducting a reconnaissance mission off the coast of Latakia, Al-Masdar news says.

“We cannot exclude the possibility that the crew of the Boeing P-8A Poseidon decided on some kind of cunning plan, which can be really confusing since visually the route of its flight did not go along the coast of Syria. However, it is not known where the American military aircraft spent the remaining hour,” a military expert told Avia.Pro.

U.S. P-8A spy planes are often spotted in the eastern Mediterranean; however, they very rarely cross into Syrian airspace.