Caught On Video: Russian, NATO Jets In Near Standoff After F-16 Buzzes Defense Minister’s Airplane

 

A day after a Russian fighter allegedly flew within 5 feet of a US reconnaissance plane traveling over the Baltic Sea, Reuters reports that a NATO F-16 fighter jet returned the favor when it tried to improperly approach a plane carrying the Russian defense minister. The plane was traveling to the city of Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave along the Baltic coast, where Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu was scheduled to discuss security issues with defense officials on Wednesday. The NATO aircraft was warded off by a Russian Su-27 jet, according to RT.

In an accounting of the incident, Reuters notes that one of the Russian fighter jets escorting Shoigu’s plane had inserted itself between the defense minister’s plane and the NATO fighter and “tilted its wings from side to side to show the weapons it was carrying, Russian agencies said.” After that the F-16 promptly left the area.

US deploys all its nuclear-capable strategic bombers to Britain for the first time amid growing tensions with Russia

Show of force: The B-1 Lancer (left), B-2 Spirit (centre) and B-52 Stratofortress (pictured right) together at RAF Fairford

 

• Two B-2 stealth bombers arrived at RAF Fairford with three B-25 Stratofortresses and three B-1 Lancers
• The fleet of nuclear-capable strategic bombers are in Gloucestershire to support planned NATO exercises
• But they also send a powerful show of strength to Putin’s Russia, in echoes of the Cold War
• In recent months NATO jets have been repeatedly scrambled to intercept Russian bombers

The US has deployed several nuclear-capable strategic bombers to Britain for the first time as tensions with Russia continue to grow.