NATO fighters escorted Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea four times
Last week, fighters from the air forces of NATO, on a patrol mission in the the Baltic States, took off four times to accompany Russian military aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic sea, Delfi reports.
As the Ministry of Defense of Latvia states, the NATO fighter jets escorted Russian transport and reconnaissance aircraft. Most of the aircraft were flying in accordance with a flight plan and stayed in touch with the mission control center; however, their radar responders were off. According to Alliance representatives, this poses a threat to civil aviation.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine and the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West, Russian warships and aircraft have been increasingly spotted near the borders of the Baltic States. In 2015, Russian military aircraft were recorded more than 270 times near the Latvian border.
The Baltic States and the United Kingdom have repeatedly stated that such incidents are attempts by Russia to demonstrate its power and to test the reaction of NATO.