Russian Jets Scrambled 7 Times to Chase Away Spy Planes – Defense Ministry

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Russia’s fighter jets were scrambled seven times in the past week to intercept foreign planes close to its borders, the Russian Defense Ministry said Friday.

Twenty-two aircraft were identified during that period, according to an infographic in the ministry-affiliated Krasnaya Zvezda (Red Star) newspaper. None of them trespassed.

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The ministry has estimated that Russian planes were scrambled a total of 294 times last year to intercept and shadow foreign reconnaissance aircraft.

At the same time, the number of air incidents involving Russian and NATO planes has increased since 2014 as a result of the growing presence of the US-led alliance's forces near Russia's western border following the eruption of the Ukrainian crisis. Moscow has said Russia had never planned and does not plan to attack any NATO member.