NATO fighter jets
intercepted a Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea, the latest in a
spate of similar incidents that have grown in frequency during the conflict in Ukraine .
F-16s based in the
Baltic region intercepted a Russian IL-20 surveillance plane, Latvia ’s army
said today on its Twitter account. The encounter took place near Latvia ’s
territorial waters, according to a separate tweet.
The increased
activity coincides with wrangling between Russia ,
the U.S. and the European
Union over the future of Ukraine ,
where a September cease-fire is wobbling. The North Atlantic Treaty
Organization tracked Russian military planes that included fighter jets,
long-range bombers and tankers over the Baltic region, the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean for three days in late October.
NATO says
interceptions in 2014 have now reached 100, three times last year’s total. The
alliance pledged in September to bolster the defenses of frontline states in
eastern Europe in response to Russian actions in Ukraine .
The tensions
haven’t been confined to northern Europe, A Russian hydrographic ship was
detected on Nov. 4 in Portugal ’s
exclusive economic zone and was escorted by a Portuguese navy ship, Radio Renascenca reported yesterday on its website, citing Portuguese Defense
Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar Branco.
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