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The US aircraft, an unmanned RQ-4 Global Hawk spy drone, has flown directly over the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad in eastern Europe, flight trackers show.

Flight data from CivMirAir shows the Northrop Grumman drone flew eastwards across Kaliningrad at speeds of around 361mph on Friday afternoon.

Flying at an altitude of 52,000ft, the aircraft flew through Kaliningrad before looping around the Lithuanian city of Kaunas and heading back towards the Baltic Sea.

The flight comes after the US and NATO backed Britain over the nerve agent attack that left Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter fighting for life.

The purpose of the drone flight has not been revealed but the US routinely flies surveillance aircraft over the Baltic Sea near Kaliningrad, a geographically sensitive region.

The Global Hawk, operated by the US Air Force, allows more precise weapons targeting by surveilling enemy positions.

(Image: WIKIPEDIA/CIVMILAIR ON TWITTER @CivMllAir) (Image: CIVMILAIR ON TWITTER @CivMilAir)

On Thursday, Donald Trump threw his weight behind Britain by saying "it looks like" Russia was responsible for the poison attack on Skripal, a former KGB spy.

NATO has also offered to support the UK in the wake of the “indiscriminate and reckless attack” on UK soil that put the lives of civillians at risk.

Kaliningrad, situated along the Baltic Coast, is a strategically important Russian province sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members.

NATO members situated along the Baltic coast, including Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania, are fearful of Russian military expansionism following the annexation of Crimea in 2014.

(Image: GETTY)

Russia regularly deploys warships and military aircraft to the region in brazen shows of force designed to intimidate Baltic states who still have deep historical links with the nation.

In February 20 Russia warships from its Baltic Fleet were dispatched from Baltiysk naval base, in Kaliningrad Oblast, for large scale military exercises.

Kaliningrad has been described as the "most dangerous place in Europe" amid reports Russia has been bulking up its military presence in the small province.

Since the annexation of Crimea – a move deemed illegal by the international community – Baltic states have been anxious about Russian militarism.

Tensions have come to the fore again recently after NATO accused a Russian jet of risking a collision with a civilian plane by attempting to avoid detection near European airspace.

Antoni Macierewicz, Poland's Defence Minister, said Russia could “change the balance of power” by sending warships with long-range cruise missiles to the Kaliningrad Oblast region.

Speaking to reporters at NATO meeting last year, he said: “This is an obvious cause for concern.

"Moving such ships on the Baltic changes the balance of power."