The Federal Air Transport Agency confirmed that a NATO CL600 reconnaissance aircraft was flying over the Black Sea near the Russian borders on December 3. A passenger plane flying from Tel Aviv to Moscow changed course in order to prevent a dangerous rapprochement with it, Interfax reported earlier. The Russian aviation authorities in connection with the incident will send a protest through diplomatic channels, the press service of the Federal Air Transport Agency told Vedomosti.
The American plane was close to the Russian area of responsibility on December 3 at 0953 hours.
“The NATO CL600 reconnaissance aircraft was performing an intense descent flight from 11,000 to 9,200 meters, crossing the designated civil air traffic route. The crew of the reconnaissance aircraft did not respond to repeated inquiries from air traffic services, ”the message says.
Almost simultaneously, the routes of flights of the A333 aircraft of the Aeroflot airline, which flew from Tel Aviv airport to Sheremetyevo, and the CL650, which flew from Sochi to Skopje (North Macedonia), ran here. As a result, the directions and flight levels were promptly changed, the Russian air traffic controllers ensured the safe operation of flights over the Black Sea.
The department believes that the increased intensity of NATO aircraft flights near the borders of Russia creates the risk of dangerous incidents in relation to passenger aircraft.
“Considering that the above-mentioned flights of military aircraft without radio communication carry risks for the safety of flights of civil aircraft in the Black Sea region, the Russian aviation authorities will initiate a protest through diplomatic channels,” the Federal Air Transport Agency reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin called the NATO exercises in the Black Sea “a serious challenge” for the country and expressed concern about the use of strategic aircraft with military weapons in them. Russia stepped up surveillance of US ships in the region in November, but Putin nevertheless rejected the Defense Ministry’s initiative to conduct unplanned exercises in response, considering it inappropriate.
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