MOSCOW, August 07. /ITAR-TASS/. NATO’s military build-up in the Baltic region forces neutral states to hide the facts of US planes’ intrusion into their airspace, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.

“The recent intrusion by an American RC-135 reconnaissance plane into Sweden’s airspace is a rather indicative incident. It’s interesting why Sweden, which is known for its policy of ‘freedom from military alliances’, has decided to play up to the United States and made an awkward attempt to hide this fact from the Swedish and international public,” the ministry said.

Assertions that the American pilots were allegedly trying to get away from Russian fighter jets in Sweden’s airspace look like “a challenge to common sense”, the ministry said.

“We believe that sovereignty over national airspace is not the kind of topic that could be used for weaving doubtful Hollywood-like scenarios,” it said.

“The escalation of military activities by NATO and the ‘native Baltic’ member - the United States - in the Baltic region, which has until now remained an area of peace and stability, leads to absurd situations like unexpected ‘friendly’ intrusion into the airspace of Sweden that stays away from military alliances,” the ministry said.

It described the situation as “irresponsible and short-sighted”.