Russia military rejects US ‘aggression’ claim after second incident over Baltic Sea

Russia’s military rejected criticism by US European Command that a Russian jet had made aggressive maneuvers near a US reconnaissance plane over the Baltic Sea, a second incident in the region between the Cold War-era foes in the past week.

Under President Vladimir Putin, Russia’s military has been beefed up by increased spending and ambitious rearmament, while Moscow, which accuses Nato of expanding toward Russia’s borders, tries to pursue a more assertive foreign policy.

The latest incident occurred on Thursday as a Russian Su-27 fighter “performed erratic and aggressive maneuvers”, flying within 50 feet of a US RC-135 aircraft, US European Command spokesman Danny Hernandez said, replying to a question from CNN.