{UAH} US SPY PLANE VIOLETS SWEDISH AIRSPACE TO ESCAPE

US spy plane violates Swedish airspace to escape Russia jets

US Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint spy plane violated Swedish airspace twice as it was fleeing Russian jets.

Sun Aug 3, 2014 9:10AM GMT

A US Air Force spy plane has reportedly violated Swedish airspace twice in order to escape Russian fighter jets.

According to Swedish media outlets, US Air Force RC-135 Rivet Joint spy plane was fleeing Russian jets that rose to intercept the plane as it was conducting a spying operation over the Baltic Sea near Russia on July 18.

The Swedish newspaper DN reported that the US spy plane entered Swedish airspace without permission and flew as far as the island of Gotland. Only after it passed over Gotland, the spy plane turned southwards to enter international airspace.

However, the US plane – a four-engine Boeing with sensitive receivers for detecting radar signals and other electronic emissions – violated Swedish airspace for a second time as it flew over east of the island of Oland for some minutes.

The Rivet Joint crew had asked Swedish authorities for permission to enter Swedish airspace but were denied entry.

US signals-intelligence planes, flying from Mildernhall air base in Britain, have been conducting spying operations over the Baltic near Russia ever since ties between Washington and Moscow plunged to record lows following a March referendum in the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea in which people overwhelmingly voted to join the Russian Federation.

The United States accuses Russia of supporting and arming pro-Russian forces in eastern Ukraine, a claim which is rejected by the Kremlin.

Washington and its European allies have imposed sanctions against Russian individuals and businesses as well as sectors of the Russian economy. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned President Barack Obama in a phone conversation on Friday that the sanctions are counterproductive and would seriously damage bilateral cooperation.

However, following his phone call to Putin, Obama described the Russian leader as someone who does not “always act rationally.”

Obama also said that the United States is “short of going to war” with Russia over Ukraine and will do everything it can to support the government in Kiev.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon has announced plans for sending troops to Ukraine in order to train and equip Ukrainian military forces.

ISH/CAH/HRJ

 

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