Incidents of NATO warplanes interception Russian planes along the outskirts of their airspace are so common as to barely make the news these days, but US officials today are riled about an incident in which a US spy plane, approaching Russian airspace, was similarly intercepted.
US officials insist the Russians were “unprofessional” and got as close as 50 feet from the plane, insisting that they never went into Russian airspace, and that the interception was “unsafe.” This is the second US complaint this week, after a previous incident with a US destroyer in the Baltic.
Russian officials say the US complaints don’t reflect reality, and insist that the Su-27 warplane’s interception was perfectly in keeping with international law, and that it didn’t pose a threat to anybody.
The US has been increasing its military presence along the Russian frontier in Europe, claiming it to be a reaction to “Russian aggression” in Ukraine. This has continued despite a ceasefire in Ukraine that’s lasted over a year, and has the US positioning an ever-growing array of warships, warplanes, and armored vehicles for a conflict with Russia.