"Risks against civilian ships": Russia initiates a protest over the incident with a NATO plane over the Black Sea

The Federal Air Transport Agency reported that the Russian aviation authorities are initiating a protest over the incident over the Black Sea through diplomatic channels.

"The increased intensity of NATO aircraft flights near the borders of the Russian Federation, including over the Black Sea, creates the risk of dangerous incidents in relation to civil aircraft," TASS quotes a fragment of a statement from the Federal Air Transport Agency.

The report says that "the Russian aviation authorities will initiate the direction of the protest through diplomatic channels."

Thus, the department commented on the incident with the crossing of the NATO CL-600 reconnaissance aircraft routes of civil aircraft over the open waters of the Black Sea.

According to the statement, it happened on December 3 at about 09:50.

It is noted that the NATO aircraft flew "with an intensive descent from an altitude of 11,000 to an altitude of 9,200 m, crossing the air traffic service route established for civil aircraft."

Along with this, the crew of the reconnaissance aircraft did not respond to repeated requests from air traffic services.

Earlier, these events were reported in Aeroflot.

The company also said that the plane, which was on the Tel Aviv-Moscow flight, changed echelon at the direction of the dispatcher, since the trajectory was crossing the other side.

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“On December 3, the crew of Aeroflot A330-300, which was flying SU501 from Tel Aviv to Moscow, actually received a command to change the flight level to Fl 330, and then to Fl 310. The instruction came from the air traffic controller and was due to the fact that the trajectory of movement was crossed by another aircraft, ”the airline’s message to RIA Novosti reported.

The crew followed the flight controllers' commands to change the flight level and observed the moment of divergence with another aircraft.

It is noted that there were 142 passengers on board.

In addition, the incident was also reported in the press service of the National Center for Defense Management of Russia.

It is noted that in order to identify objects and prevent violations of the border, Su-27 and Su-30 fighters took to the air.

The crews were able to identify the aerial targets as the US Air Force RC-135 strategic reconnaissance aircraft and the US Army CL-600 ARTEMIS reconnaissance and targeting aircraft.

Commenting on the incident over the Black Sea, military expert Alexander Zhilin noted the danger of the current situation.

He stressed that the flights of reconnaissance aircraft are regulated by international agreements, which must be observed.

“As far as can be judged from the information that appeared, they (the crew of the NATO aircraft -

) did not contact the dispatch services.

They generally did not designate themselves in any way, hoping that the Russian escort fighters would find them themselves and, so to speak, accompany them, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

The expert emphasized that air traffic control could not allow two aircraft to fly at the same level.

As Zhilin noted, in the event of a catastrophe, the consequences could be dire for the international situation.

“The concentration of the US naval forces in the Black Sea, the intensity of flights in the airspace - all this creates certain threats.

The human factor has not been canceled.

This means possible errors.

Errors can lead either to catastrophes or to serious accidents, and then the factor of counteraction, so to speak, is activated, which then cannot be stopped, ”Zhilin stated.

Regional security threat

Earlier, the Ministry of Defense spoke about the growth of intelligence activity of NATO countries in the Black Sea region.

The ministry's statement was timed to coincide with the arrival of several American warships in the Black Sea waters at the end of October.

Along with the appearance of ships in the region, reconnaissance flights of patrol aircraft of the US Navy and Air Force were recorded.

“The Russian Defense Ministry regards the aggressive military activity of the United States in the Black Sea region as a threat to regional security and strategic stability.

The true purpose of the US actions in the Black Sea region, not provoked by Russia, is to study the theater of military operations in the event of a military solution by Kiev to the conflict in the southeast, ”the department said.

Subsequently, Vladimir Putin also spoke about the presence of NATO forces in the Black Sea.

The head of state drew attention to the fact that the United States and its NATO allies are conducting unplanned exercises in the Black Sea, in which a "powerful ship group", as well as strategic aviation, are participating.

Commenting on the very fact that the West is conducting unplanned exercises, the president said that Russia "is simply not allowed to relax."

“Well, let them know that we are not relaxing,” he said.