Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Fighter Jets Push NATO War Plane Away

Vitaly V. Kuzmin / Wikicommons

A Russian fighter jet saw off a NATO warplane after it approached a plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over neutral waters in the Baltic Sea, the TASS news agency reported Tuesday.

Shoigu's aircraft had been returning to Moscow from the Russian Baltic region of Kaliningrad which is surrounded by Poland and Lithuania and was carrying a TASS reporter on board, the agency said.

It said a Spanish F-18 jet based in Lithuania had tried to approach Shoigu's plane, prompting one of two Russian SU-27 fighter jets accompanying him to see it off.

A video of the incident shown on Russian state media showed a Russian jet sharply banking to the left in the direction of the NATO plane, forcing it to veer leftwards itself.

Shoigu had flown to Kaliningrad to attend a ceremony marking the start of construction of a new military academy.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more