A NATO fighter jet buzzed the plane of Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu before being chased off by a Russian jet in what would be the latest aerial confrontation between the West and Russia and its allies, Russian media reported Wednesday.
The Russian plane was flying over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea en route to the western Russian city of Kaliningrad when a NATO F-16 “attempted to make an approach” to Shoigu’s plane, RIA Novosti reported, citing its journalist on Shoigu’s plane. A Russian Su-27 fighter escorting the minister “displayed its weapons” and the F-16 flew off, the media outlet said.
Novosti posted video of the incident it said was recorded from the defense minister’s plane. A TASS journalist also reported on the incident.
Watch the incident here.
Kaliningrad sits between Poland and Lithuania, both NATO members. NATO issued a statement saying its aircraft routinely monitor flights whenever “unknown aircraft” approach NATO airspace.
“NATO can confirm that three Russian aircraft, including two fighters, were tracked over the Baltic Sea earlier today,” the statement said. "As the aircraft did not identify themselves or respond to air traffic control, NATO fighter jets scrambled to identify them, according to standard procedure. NATO has no information regarding who was on board.”
The statement added that when NATO aircraft intercept a plane they identify it visually and maintain a safe distance.
“Once complete, NATO jets break away. This is standard procedure,” the statement said. "All our pilots behave in a safe and responsible way. "
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Also Wednesday, Swedish officials in Stockholm summoned Russia’s ambassador in that country after a Russian fighter jet flew close to a Swedish reconnaissance aircraft, also in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
Ministry spokesman Gunnar Vrang told The Associated Press a meeting “will take place in the near future” to discuss the incident.
A day earlier the Pentagon claimed a Russian Su-27 zoomed within a few feet of an American RC-135 reconnaissance plane. The Russian Defense Ministry blamed the incident on the spy plane’s pilot.
Last month, the Pentagon reported that a Russian jet performed a “barrel roll” over a U.S. tanker over Syria, prompting an apology from Russian officials. The relationship drew markedly less cordial this week. On Monday, Russia said it had suspended its communication hotline with U.S. forces operating in Syria — one day earlier an American fighter plane downed a Syrian combat aircraft, saying it was attacking U.S.-backed rebel-units on the ground.
Russia’s Defense Ministry also said it will start tracking American planes as they fly over western Syria, where Russian and Syrian jets have been commonly operating. The ministry said the jets would be tracked with ground-based air defense radar and Russian planes.
