Swedish Minister told about the accident with the Russian military aircraft – RBC

Photo: RIA Novosti

In interview with Sveriges Radio, the minister said that the plane that nearly collided with a passenger liner to the south of the Swedish coast, is Russian. Identify the nationality of the military machine was able to pilot the Swedish fighters patrolling over the Baltic Sea area.

Hulkvist claims that it was a spy plane.

The Minister said that the incident occurred on December 12 over the Baltic the sea. Military aircraft went over neutral waters and was invisible to the civilian air traffic controllers. Managed to find his military who immediately passed information to dispatchers Copenhagen Kastrup Airport. Those warned pilots flying directly toward civil airliner of the danger. Through this pilot passenger aircraft managed to change course and avoid a collision.

The Swedish minister said that the pilot of a military aircraft did not invade the airspace of Sweden or Denmark, but his actions Hulkvist called unacceptable and pose a threat to security.

similar incident the Swedish military said, and in March. Then ship the SAS allegedly nearly collided with a Russian spy IL-20, but managed to change course.

In recent months the military Sweden and the Baltic countries have repeatedly stated the Russian Air Force major activity in the Baltic Sea. Russian planes do not violate the airspace of other countries, but flies very close to the border, forcing NATO to raise to meet its fighters.

According to Reuters, the mission of the alliance this year raised its aircraft to intercept Russian bombers in the Baltic region more 100 times. This figure is three times higher than last year’s figures.

In late October, NATO reported unusual activity of the Russian Air Force in the European airspace. Then, according to the alliance, Russian bombers were spotted over the Baltic, North and Black Seas. “These large-scale Russian flights represent an extraordinary level of activity in European airspace,” – said in a statement the alliance. This activity of the Russian Air Force one day become the largest in recent years, said while the representative of the Alliance.