Russian military aircraft are increasingly approaching Western airspace with unclear intentions and digital identifiers turned off. In 2022, the Alliance recorded more such provocative incidents than ever before, most of them over the Baltic Sea. However, the Western Alliance remains calm. Writes about it Redaktions Netzwerk Deutschland (RND).

In particular, in 2022, NATO aircraft made 570 sorties in Europe to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching the airspace of the Alliance.. This previously unpublished figure was provided by a NATO official to RND.. This is almost twice as much compared to the previous year: in 2021, the Alliance recorded 290 such cases..

NATO spokesman said most missions in 2022 took place over the Baltic Sea. In all cases, according to him, it was possible to push back Russian aircraft and avoid escalation..

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However, on a number of occasions, Russian warplanes carried out risky maneuvers near unarmed Allied reconnaissance aircraft.. Last November, Russian warplanes also “dangerously” overflew NATO ships on routine patrols in the Baltic Sea.. Alliance countries have expressed their concern about these incidents to Russian officials through diplomatic channels..

Eight alarms at the beginning of February 2023.

In 2023, the sky over Europe remains restless. At the beginning of February there were eight alarms in one week. All of them concerned Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Sometimes SU-27 or SU-30 fighters approached the airspace of three NATO countries, sometimes Il-76 heavy military transport aircraft.

In all cases, the Russian crews behaved as if they did not care that they were going to fly over the territory of sovereign states..

Three notable signs make some Russian military flights a provocation:.

Russian crews often do not announce the flight plan in advance, contrary to international practice;

they also do not consider it necessary to contact the relevant regional aviation security authority during the flight and provide information about their whereabouts;

some even turned off the transponder when approaching NATO countries (as a rule, transponders on all types of aircraft provide continuous digital information about the origin and identification of the aircraft).

In such cases, NATO comes into play. Western fighter jets take to the air and airborne Western patrols change course: Alliance-agreed "

What is the meaning of provocation?

NATO aircraft begin to escort Russian aircraft. NATO crews approaching them determine the identity and nationality of the aircraft, and also transmit data to their operations centers. They then direct the Russian planes back into international airspace and escort them for a while if necessary..

The show of strength of the Alliance may include western jets showing their weapons by briefly rotating around their axis.. However, Russian aircrews in any case know that once their aircraft are identified, they will also be on the radar of modern anti-aircraft missile systems that are part of NATO's multi-layered air defense system.. Until now, all such episodes ended the same way: Russian planes returned back.

So what is the meaning of Russian provocations, not only ordinary citizens, but also experts ask. According to NATO officials, this is "

NATO wants 'no room for misunderstandings'.

Beijing frequently sends fighter jets through Taiwan's air defense zone. The result is the double fatigue of the Taiwan Air Force. Pilots are unlikely to keep up with the constant new take-offs, and a more autonomous air defense system has recently been considered..

The NATO alliance, however, does not want to look tired in the face of Russia's war against Ukraine.

" We will ensure that there is no room in Moscow for misunderstandings of our readiness to protect all allies,” NATO Headquarters said..

Indeed, the Alliance is demonstrating that it is as well prepared as ever for a Cold War in the skies over Europe, from the Black Sea to the far north..

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In mid-January, the Alliance sent some of its AWACS reconnaissance aircraft from the German base in Geilenkirchen to the city of Otopeni near Bucharest - from there they will "

At the same time, Denmark allowed the US Air Force to deploy an entire squadron of F-35A Lightning II fighters at Thule Air Base.. Air Force soldiers around the world know that such exercises are a signal of determination..

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. NATO is strengthening its battlegroups in states from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south.