European monitors see as provocative forays into and near the
airspace of its neighbors.
On Monday, the London-based European Leadership Network
reported a sharp increase in Russian air operations that have
been condemned by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization,
including violations of other countries' airspace, narrowly
missed collisions, buzzing of NATO and Ukrainian warships
and mock bombing runs. Three of the 40 incidents cited in the
report were said to have had a "high probability" of causing
casualties or military confrontation.
NATO reported last month that the number of incidents
involving Russian planes and ships that it considered
provocative has tripled this year, to more than 100, including
mass aerial maneuvers that posed risks to civilian air traffic in
northern and eastern Europe.
Russia has routinely denounced what it considers encroachment
by NATO into the countries of Eastern Europe that were once
part of the Soviet Union or dominated by the communist giant
during the Cold War.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned the
U.S.-led alliance against what he sees as attempts to drive
Russia away from its traditional sphere of influence.
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