NATO Aircraft Intercepts Russian Minister’s Plane

On Wednesday, June 21, a Polish NATO F-16 fighter jet intercepted Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s plane flying above the Baltic Sea.  Correspondents for RIA and TASS reported the event from their perspectives within the minister’s plane.  According to the correspondents, the Polish NATO fighter was “driven off” by a Russian Su-27 fighter, demonstrating its arms by swinging its wings.

A NATO official stated that three Russian aircraft (two fighters) were detected flying over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday.  The official says, “As the aircraft did not identify themselves or respond to air traffic control, NATO fighter jets scrambled to identify them, according to standard procedures.  NATO has no information as to who was on board.  We assess the Russian pilots’ behavior as safe and professional.”  All involved in this incident acted safely and professionally, according to the official.

After identification of the minister’s aircraft was complete, the NATO fighter broke away as it was standard procedure.  The Russian defense ministry reported that, “Shoigu was on his way to the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad, which is between Moscow and Poland.”

Wednesday’s incident came two days just after a Russian Su-27 fighter jet flew five feet close to a U.S. Air Force RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft above the Baltic Sea.  U.S. officials condemned this action, deeming it as “unsafe” as the armed Russian fighter flew “erratically”.  But, Russia denounced the United States’ accusations, saying that the U.S. reconnaissance aircraft “approached the Russian state border.”

It is reported that, “There have been more than 30 interactions between Russian and U.S. aircraft and ships near the Baltic Sea since the beginning of June, a U.S. official told CNN.  The vast majority of these encounters have been safe and professional, the official added—a point that adds to the significance of Monday’s incident.”

Pentagon spokesperson Captain Jeff Davis comments on this incident, saying, “Russia is certainly within its right to exercise within international airspace, but we want them to respect international standards for safety to prevent accidents.  The vast majority of interactions we have, intercepts that occur when we fly and that are intercepted by the Russians are safe.  This is an exception, not the norm, but we were again operating in international airspace and did nothing to provoke.”

These recent airspace encounters have risen due to the increases in tensions between the United States and Russia.  With the downing of a Syrian aircraft by the United States on Sunday, June 18, Russia consequently condemned the act committed by the United States and vowed to target U.S. planes flying west of the Euphrates river.  These measures have pushed the American-Russian relationship on thin ice—allied countries stand aside as the tensions remain on a high-wire.

Featured Image via Department of Defense