Air Chief Marshal Lord Stirrup, a former chief of the defence staff, claimed Vladimir Putin is 'testing' Britain's reaction times Planes packed with holidaymakers could be brought down by Russian jets in a highly dangerous 'game of chicken', a former head of the armed forces has warned. Air Chief Marshal Lord Stirrup, a former chief of the defence staff, claimed Vladimir Putin is 'testing' the resolve of Britain and its Nato allies in the stand-off in Ukraine. He accused Moscow of pursuing an 'aggressive' strategy of probing UK defences, using flights by Russian long-range Bear bombers off Bournemouth and the coast of Cornwall.
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Jock Stirrup warns of risk posed by Russian flights testing UK airspace
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Former chief of the defence staff accuses Moscow of 'game of chicken'
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Long-range Bear bombers seen off Bournemouth and coast of Cornwall
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RAF jets scrambled to deter Russian jets 88 times in the last decade
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Calls grow for Britain to help arm Ukrainian government against Russia
Moscow
Moscow
Lord Stirrup suggested that Britain should now consider supplying arms to the Ukraine government to counter the superior firepower of the separatist rebels who are being supplied by @placeholder.
Nato
'@placeholder over the years, in the eyes of Putin at least, has become weak.
Ukraine
Ukrainian
'We are not planning as the UK to send arms to @placeholder.