The story appears on

Page A12

March 25, 2015

GET this page in PDF

Free for subscribers

View shopping cart

Related News

HomeWorld

4 Russian jets tracked by Sweden

The Swedish Air Force yesterday tracked four Russian combat aircraft flying with their transponders turned off over the Baltic Sea, officials said.

The Russian planes 鈥 two long-range, nuclear-capable Tu-22M3 bombers and two Sukhoi Su-27 fighters 鈥 were flying in international airspace, said Sweden鈥檚 armed forces.

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom called it 鈥渦nacceptable鈥 for the Russian planes to be flying with shut-off transponders that are necessary for identifying aircraft on radar, calling it violation of international aviation rules.

鈥淭his has happened now on a number of occasions and in a very challenging way,鈥 Wallstrom told reporters in Stockholm.

鈥淲e are tired of always having to protest against this kind of ... breach of rules.鈥

NATO and Sweden, which is not a member of the alliance, have reported an increase in Russian air maneuvers over the Baltic Sea in recent years.

Yesterday鈥檚 sighting comes as Finnish and Swedish military aircraft begin training with United States fighters over the Baltic Sea, and American and NATO forces continued military exercises in the Baltic countries.


 

Copyright 漏 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.

娌叕缃戝畨澶 31010602000204鍙

Email this to your friend