EXCERPT:
MARQUARDT: "As you mentioned, this was the second flight just this week by this aircraft, which is called an E-8. The first one took place on Monday. The second today just hours before that telephone call. The express purpose of this — these types of aircraft is to carry out surveillance, is to gather intelligence. This was the first time this week, we are told by the U.S. military, that this type of aircraft flew in this part of eastern Ukraine. It did not cross the border into Russia. It did not go into Russian air space, but it certainly does have the capability of peering into Russia. It has an antenna that can scan an area of around 20,000 square miles, so, Jake, it can gather intelligence on troops. It can see the readiness. It can detect vehicles, aircraft, it can transmit that imagery, that intelligence, that information to ground and air commanders as well as, of course, back here at the Pentagon. So essentially gathering the freshest intelligence in the leadup to today's phone call and as these conversations continue."