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         US Spy Plane Enters Swedish Airspace to Avoid Russian Fighters

   by VOA News

   U.S. military officials say one of its spy planes veered into Swedish
   airspace without permission recently, to avoid Russian planes over the
   Baltic Sea.

   The U.S. European Command told the New York Times this week that an Air
   Force RC-135 surveillance plane, flying in international airspace on
   July 18, was approached by Russian fighter jets.  Officials said the
   pilot navigated into Swedish airspace by mistake while attempting to
   avoid the Russian planes.

   The European Command said the pilot had been incorrectly advised to
   maneuver into the airspace by U.S. personnel. Sweden is not a member of
   NATO.

   The incident reportedly occurred near Kaliningrad, a Russian enclave
   between Poland and Lithuania that has a major port for Russia's Baltic
   fleet.

   Ties between the U.S. and Russia are at their lowest level since the
   Cold War because of tensions over Ukraine. The U.S. accuses Russia of
   supporting and arming pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, while
   Russia blames the U.S.-backed Kyiv government for the continuing
   violence between rebels and Ukrainian troops.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/us-spy-plane-entered-swedish-airspace
   -to-avoid-russian-fighters/1971208.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/us-spy-plane-entered-swedish-airspace-to-avoid-russian-fighters/1971208.html