The day of the U-2 incident – level 3

01-05-1960

On May 1, 1960, an American U-2 spy plane was flying over the Soviet Union.

The plane was equipped with cameras and other high-tech surveillance equipment, which allowed it to take detailed photographs of Soviet military bases and other sensitive sites.

The plane was shot down by a missile fired by a Soviet air defense unit.

The pilot ejected from the plane and parachuted to the ground where he was captured by Soviet authorities. He was held prisoner for nearly two years before being released in a prisoner exchange.

The U-2 incident was a major embarrassment for the United States, as it exposed the fact that the US was conducting surveillance of the Soviet Union.

The U-2 incident caused a major setback in US-Soviet relations and contributed to increased tensions during the Cold War.

Difficult words: surveillance (monitoring), eject (to be pushed out quickly), conduct (to do), setback (a problem).

What long-term effects did the U-2 incident have on the relationship between the US and the Soviet Union?

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