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Russian fighters scrambled 14 times in past week to intercept foreign aircraft — ministry

According to the report, a total of 23 reconnaissance flights were carried out in the vicinity of the Russian border last week by aircraft of seven countries

MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Fighter jets of Russia’s Aerospace Forces were scrambled 14 times during the past week to intercept foreign reconnaissance aircraft near Russian borders, the Russian Defense Ministry said in its weekly infographics published by the Krasnaya Zvezda paper on Friday.

A week ago, the Defense Ministry reported 18 such incidents.

According to the report, a total of 23 reconnaissance flights were carried out in the vicinity of the Russian border last week by aircraft of seven countries. The bulk of those flights was performed by United States’ RC-135 jets and RQ-4B Global Hawk drones, which approached Russian borders 10 times in total.

On Wednesday, June 21, Sweden summoned Russia's ambassador after a Russian Su-27 fighter jet approached a Swedish reconnaissance plane in international airspace above the Baltic Sea to a distance which the Swedish Defense Ministry described as "extremely narrow."

On Thursday, June 22, Poland’s F-16 Viper fighter intercepted a Russian Tu-154 VIP aircraft carrying Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. The Polish fighter jet had to retreat after a fully armed Su-27 Flanker jet zoomed in and displayed its weapons.