Russian foreign ministry concerned by air safety in Baltic Sea

The Russian foreign ministry is concerned by growing intensity of military aviation flights of NATO members as well as Sweden and Finland near Russia’s borders in the Baltic Sea region, Deputy Director of the Information and Press Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Artyom Kozhin has announced at a briefing on March 23.

He stressed that two thirds of flights of the air forces of NATO members, Finland, and Sweden in September-November last year were done without transponders switched on. “Such actions give rise to possible dangerous incidents with far-reaching consequences,” the representative of the Russian foreign ministry warned.

Kozhin drew attention to the fact that Russia in its turn made a lot to reduce tension in the region. To reduce pre-conditions for air incidents, recommendations were elaborated and enacted to resolve conflict situations in air space of the region used by civil and military aviation.

“Unfortunately, we see no reciprocal steps from NATO members,” Kozhin said.

“At present time, the mandate of the group within ICAO frameworks has been almost completely exhausted. Despite previously given promises, we see no willingness of the alliance to switch to expert discussions of the issue in the format of the Russia-NATO Council,” he added.

Kozhin said that real transparency in certain measures of confidence above the Baltics and in its water area is not wanted by European countries and the US. Their goal, he believes, is to increase the military potential.