Huge NATO country scrambles fighter jets twice in same day to 'deal' with Russian aircraft
A dramatic confrontation between a NATO country's Air Force and a Russian aircraft has sparked growing concerns of a wider conflict.
Tensions between Russia and Ukraine have reached a boiling point, with the German Air Force being forced to take action against two Russian aircraft without flight plans or radio contact.
They announced on X: "Today, our Eurofighter of the NATO mission VAPB had to deal with two Russian aircraft when alerted.
"A Tu-134 CRUSTY and an An-12 CUB were identified without a flight plan and radio contact with the civil air traffic control centres."
Later on the same day, the German Air Force notified the public of a second incident, also concerning two Russian aircraft.
They wrote:"There's a lot going on over the Baltic Sea: Our German Eurofighter from VAPB in Lielvarde in Latvia took off for a second Alpha Scramble today after being alerted by the CAOC UEDEM.
"Together with the #QRA of our Finnish NATO partner, an IL-20 COOT and an AN-12 CUB D without a flight plan and radio contact were identified."
The incidents come as Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin and Russia's former president, issued a dire warning about the potential consequences of Western intervention in the conflict.
Medvedev warned that if Ukraine uses Western-supplied weapons to strike inside of Russia, it would be seen as a direct participation of NATO in the conflict, which could lead to a casus belli, or an act that provokes a war.
He stressed that Russia would not hesitate to respond with force, saying: "This is no military assistance, this is participation in a war against us. And such actions could well become a casus belli."
The former Russian president also warned that Ukraine and its NATO allies would receive a response of "such destructive force that the Alliance itself simply will not be able to resist being drawn into the conflict." He reiterated Russia's willingness to use tactical nuclear weapons, saying: "This is, alas, neither intimidation nor bluffing."
Medvedev's comments come as reports surface that US President Joe Biden has given Ukraine the green light to use American weapons to strike inside of Russia, but only with the purpose of defending the city of Kharkiv. The decision has been met with concern from Moscow, which has accused NATO countries of deliberately escalating tensions and provoking Ukraine to continue the conflict.
The situation is further complicated by Ukraine's reported use of US-supplied Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) to strike the Kerch ferry crossing in Crimea, a Ukrainian peninsula illegally annexed by Russia in 2014.
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The Kremlin has responded by warning that any further attacks on Russian territory would be met with swift and severe retaliation.
The German Air Force's involvement in the crisis highlights the growing concerns about NATO's role in the conflict.
As tensions continue to escalate, European leaders are being urged to take action to prevent a wider conflict.
In related news, Putin himself warned earlier this week that "serious consequences" would follow if Western weapons were allowed in attacks on Russian soil.
He cautioned European countries to consider their own vulnerabilities, saying: "In Europe, especially in small countries, they should realise what they are playing with. They should remember that they are countries with small, densely populated territories... This is a factor they should keep in mind before talking about striking Russia."
