MOSCOW, Dec 18 (CGTN) - Russia on Saturday officially withdrew from the Treaty on Open Skies, according to local media.

On June 7, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law to quit the Treaty on Open Skies. Russia notified all the related parties of its pullout on June 18 and the decision came into force six months later.

The multilateral pact, which came into effect in 2002, allows its states-parties to conduct short-notice, unarmed reconnaissance flights over the others' territories to collect data on military forces and activities.