Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane ignored requests to make contact, in latest of what are seen as provocative acts by Kremlin

Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane ignored requests to make contact, in latest of what are seen as provocative acts by Kremlin

Two German Eurofighter jets were scrambled on Sunday to intercept a Russian military aircraft above the Baltic Sea, as Estonia said it would call an emergency meeting of the UN security council after Russian planes violated its airspace.

Germany’s air force said the Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane had switched off its transponders and ignored requests to make contact. The Eurofighters took off from the Rostock-Laage airbase to head off the aircraft as it flew in international airspace.

Tensions between Nato and Russia have been dramatically rising after a series of what European governments say are deliberate, provocative acts by the Kremlin. On Friday, three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace in the Gulf of Finland. Moscow denies this.

  • brachiosaurus@mander.xyzEnglish
    3·
    3 hours ago

    so they are already preparing to move further.

    They are barely managing the war with ukraine and you want me to believe they are moving further than that? EU countries combined are matching already russia military expenses, they are looking for excuses to boost war industry even more. Check the data and watch out for propaganda.

    • PhilipTheBucket@piefed.socialEnglish
      2·
      2 hours ago

      EU countries combined are matching already russia military expenses

      Check the data

      The US plus all partners has sent about $150 billion in total, it looks like, up until the middle of last year: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1303432/total-bilateral-aid-to-ukraine/ About half of that is EU, so say $75 billion from the EU.

      Russia spends about $500 billion per year: https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/02/12/russias-2024-military-spending-surpassed-eu-uk-combined-in-ppp-terms-study-a87974 They have mobilized basically their entire economy to try to win this thing.

      What is your source for saying the EU alone is matching Russia? The EU is barely paying attention to the war, because of complacency and a subtle racism. But the idea that the EU is pulling out all the stops like Russia is, or prioritizing making their “defense” contractors rich in this as the US is wont to do, is absurd.

      and watch out for propaganda.

      Can do! I think I might have found some, I’m not sure.

      • mgnome@piefed.socialEnglish
        1·
        22 minutes ago

        Thank you.

        Many folks fail to realize that it absolutely doesn’t hurt Putin to send another one or two million of his people to die for his delusions of grandeur. It’s not like he’s gonna have to start selling his mansions because Russia goes through economic hardships or that his own kids gonna get drafted.

        If Russia did things that are logical - they wouldn’t invade Ukraine in the first place, not to mention that their invasion and annexations are illegal even by Russian laws and constitution that Putin can rewrite at his whim, but absolutely nobody cares. So expecting a country that breaks its own laws while being an autocracy to follow logic is foolish at best.

    • Illecors@lemmy.cafeEnglish
      21·
      3 hours ago

      Of course they are moving ahead. A billion in EU buys many times less than the same billion does in russia. Furthermore, russia has never - at least in the last two-three lifetimes - acted logically. A failed/miscalculated/etc attempt at an invasion still brings death and destruction.