Washington's concerns came only days after a European think tank warned that since Russia annexed Ukraine's southern Crimea peninsula earlier this year, "the intensity and gravity of incidents involving Russian and Western militaries and security agencies has visibly increased."
The European Leadership Network detailed at least nine incidents over the past few months of either near misses between Russian and North American aircraft or cases where Russian planes have been observed close to US territory. In early September, Russian strategic bombers near Canada practiced cruise missile strikes on the United States, although they stayed outside of Canada's air defense zone.
- "While we recognize the need for routine military training activity, we have noticed an increase in the number of these flights near North America in recent months," State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters. "Any such activity must be consistent with international law and conducted with due regard for the rights of other nations and the safety of other aircraft and of vessels," she warned.
"Even though direct military confrontation has been avoided so far, the mix of more aggressive Russian posturing and the readiness of Western forces to show resolve increases the risk of unintended escalation and the danger of losing control over events," it said.
Psaki dismissed reported comments from the Russian defense minister that Moscow needed to maintain a military presence in the Western Atlantic and Eastern Pacific. "We don't see the security environment as warranting such activity," Psaki said.
- AFP/by
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/russian-military-flights/1472206.html
14/11/14
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Russian strategic bombers to patrol off US coastlines ...
ReplyDeleteAs fighting flares again between the NATO-backed regime in Kiev and pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, Russia announced Wednesday that it is re-starting regular patrols in international air space off the US coastline by nuclear-capable strategic bombers. This is the first time since the end of the Cold War that Russia is planning routine patrols off the coast of the United States.
This is a sharp warning that the confrontation the United States and the NATO powers are waging with Russia and China—enormously escalated by the right-wing US-backed coup in Ukraine—poses the risk of world war and a nuclear conflagration.
At a meeting of Russia's national military council announcing the decision, Defense Secretary Sergei Shoigu said: “In the current situation, we have to maintain military presence in the western Atlantic and eastern Pacific, as well as the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Due to that, as part of the drills, Russian long-range bombers will conduct flights along Russian borders and over the Arctic Ocean.” ...........http://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2014/11/14/russ-n14.html
14/11/14