- Russia plans more aircraft, helicopters at airbase in Belarus — defense minister
- NATO scrambles jets 400 times this year amid increased Russian air activity
- Russian Defense Ministry denies violation of Estonia's, Lithuania's airspace
- Russia rejects Sweden minister statement on Russian warplane spotted in air space
- Russian ambassador summoned to Danish Foreign Ministry over plane incident
- Swedish media mistook French warplane that violated Sweden's airspace for Russian
MOSCOW, December 29. /TASS/. Russia's Defense Ministry has refuted allegations of a Russian Air Force plane violating Estonia's airspce, the press service of the ministry said Monday.
The press service said a Russian An-72 transport plane was conducting a preplanned mission from Saint Petersburg to Russi'a westermost Kaliningrad Region. The plane flew over neutral waters of the Baltic sea in strict compliance with the international rules and with no violation of air space of Estonia or any other state, the press service said.
NATO raises number of warplanes in Eastern Europe
Chief Commander of Russia’s Air Force Colonel General Viktor Bondarev earlier said that NATO has raised the number of its aircraft at airfields in NATO states in Eastern Europe using the current crisis in Ukraine as a pretext. The number of tactical fighter jets patrolling the air space in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia with deployment at airbases Zokniai in Lithuania and Amari in Estonia has been increased 3.5 times, he said. Meanwhile, US and NATO air squadrons of up to 12 tactical fighter jets have been deployed additionally at Polish airbases in Malbork and Minsk Mazowiecki and Campia Turzii in Romania on a rotation basis since the start of this year.