Article first appeared on RussiaFeed.
A NATO F-16 fighter jet approached the Russian defense minister’s plane above the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea.
The move appears to be in response to yesterday’s Russian fighter allegedly flying within 5 feet of a US reconnaissance plane traveling over the Baltic Sea.
The NATO plane was scared off by a Russian Su-27 escorting the minister’s aircraft.
The Russian plane was en route to the city of Kaliningrad, where Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu is scheduled to discuss security issues with defense officials.
Russia’s Sukhoi Su-27 fighter escorting Shoigu’s plane displayed its weapons, prompting the F-16 to swiftly retreat.
While one NATO aircraft tried to approach the Russian airplane, a Russian Su-27 fighter jet got in its way and tilted its wings, apparently showing its arms. The F-16 then flew away.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that he has no information about the incident.
“It’s probably better to ask the Defense Ministry,” Peskov said in answer to journalists’ questions.
On Monday a US RC-135 spy plane flying toward the Russian border made a “provocative turn” toward a Baltic Fleet Su-27, which had been scrambled for an interception mission.
The encounters of Russian and US warplanes over the Baltic Sea waters have apparently become more frequent lately. A Russian fighter jet intercepted a small group of US warplanes, including Boeing KC-135 Stratotanker military refueling aircraft, two B-1 bombers and one B-52, during the BALTOPS (Baltic Operations) annual training exercise on June 10.
The post VIDEO: Russian Su-27 chases away NATO F-16 fighter jet moving towards Russian Defense Minister’s plane appeared first on The Duran.