So, the Ruskies are getting a taste of the Berlin air lift, removed some fifty/sixty years?
But the Soviets allowed us to fly in supplies thru assigned air corridors. The Berlin airlift (Jun 24, 1948 – May 12, 1949) was a remarkable logistical triumph. During the airlift, Allied planes carrying supplies landed every 45 seconds at Templehof Airport in Berlin.
I was assigned to the US Mission Berlin (1983-87). Berlin was still considered an occupied city under the control of the French, British, US, and Soviets. We operated under the 1971 Quadripartite agreement. We used to refer to it as the Berlin theology. We had a facility called the Berlin Air Safety Center (BASC), which approved all flights in and out of Berlin thru the three air corridors connecting us to Western Europe. We had Soviets, French, Americans, and Brits passing pieces of paper in the same room controlling the flights. When you traveled via land to and from the West, there were check points manned by Soviets and East Germans.
We did not recognize East Berlin as part of the GDR. West Berlin was comprised of the French, UK, and US sectors. German taxpayers paid for the costs associated with our administration of the city.
When Reagan visited Berlin in 1987, in addition to his visit to the Wall, he came to Templehof airport to honor the Berlin Airlift, which included the presence of Col Gail Halvorsen who originated the "candy bombers." The flights into Berlin during the airlift had pilots who parachuted candy to the children. During Reagan's visit to Tempelhof, we dropped thousands of mini parachutes w/candy from the ceiling. Quite a sight.