Typhoons intercept Russian bombers, fighters: Report
Iran Press TV
Thu Jun 19, 2014 2:9PM GMT
UK's Ministry of Defense (MoD) announces that it has scrambled typhoon jet fighters to intercept Russian military aircraft over the Baltic airspace.
According to a statement issued by MoD on Wednesday, three Typhoon jets were scrambled on Tuesday to intercept Russian military fighters flying over the Baltic Sea.
MoD said four separate groups of aircraft were detected near the Baltics by NATO air defenses, and that he aircraft had been identified as a Russian Tupolev Tu-22 bomber, four Sukhoi Su-27 fighters, one Beriev A-50 early warning aircraft, and an Antonov An-26 transport aircraft. They appeared to be carrying out routine training.
Over the last few months Britain and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) states have increased the number of jet fighters patrolling the Baltics as tensions between the West and Russia over the Ukraine crisis remained high.
On June 8, Britain deployed a warship to the Baltic Sea to participate in joint military exercises with several countries in the region.
The exercises follow military drills held in Estonia last month with a record-breaking 6,000 troops from NATO-allied countries, including the UK, the US, Latvia, and Lithuania.
The military exercises initially came as tensions between the Western powers and Russia heightened after the Autonomous Republic of Crimea declared independence from Ukraine and formally applied to become part of the Russian Federation following a referendum on March 16.
The United States and its European allies accused Russia of violating Ukraine's sovereignty by stirring up pro-Russia protests in eastern Ukraine, which followed Crimea's independence. Russia has denied the allegation, saying the protests have begun spontaneously.
SRK/AB/SL
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