Russian Defense Minister’s Plane Followed by NATO Jets over Baltic Sea

The NATO jets did not approach the defense minister’s plane, which was escorted by several Su-27 fighter jets, according to pool correspondents of Russian media on Monday who were on the same plane as the defense minister, Russia Today reported.

The correspondents identified the planes as Eurofighter Typhoons, multirole fighters designed for NATO.

Shoigu, who had repeatedly voiced concerns over NATO’s continuing build-up across Eastern and Central Europe, arrived in Russia’s western exclave of Kaliningrad on Monday to inspect the reconstruction of the Chkalovsk Military Airfield outside the city.

The standoff between NATO and Russia escalated in 2014, after Ukraine, which had previously insisted on its non-aligned status, went through a violent protest that ousted its elected government and imposed a new one, backed by the West. Kiev’s new authorities have since made joining NATO one of their top priorities, claiming that they need protection against Russia.

The US and EU have repeatedly accused Russia of meddling in Ukrainian internal affairs. Denying the allegations, Moscow has argued that NATO beefing up its troops and military equipment on Russia’s borders could further destabilize the region.

The new edition of Russia’s military doctrine, signed by President Vladimir Putin last year in December, specified that NATO’s militarization and arms build-ups pose a national security threat to Russia and requires an appropriate response.

In 2015, NATO dramatically increased the number and pace of its large-scale military drills across Europe, most intensively near Russia’s borders. Additionally, to boost what it called its “deterrence” of Russia, NATO has moved a remarkable amount of heavy weapons, including tanks and self-propelled artillery, to Baltic states on a “rotational” basis.