article_snippet.sent: A Russian warship and two bombers strayed close to UK territory yesterday in yet another apparent attempt to test Britain’s defences.
article_snippet.sent: Even though Russian military inspectors were invited to attend the show of strength, the timing raised suspicions that Vladimir Putin was using access to the site to test UK reaction times.
article_snippet.sent: No explanation: Experts said Russian President Vladimir Putin's move to send planes capable of carrying cruise missiles so close to British shores could be seen as an act of aggression .
article_snippet.sent: April 2014 - A Russian fighter plane makes repeated passes of American warship the USS Cook in the Black Sea.
article_snippet.sent: If armed the ship's commander could have targeted The Russian aircraft in self defence .
article_snippet.sent: The frigate was then circle by a Russian maritime patrol craft .
article_snippet.sent: October 30, 2014 - 26 Russian bombers, tankers and fighter jets on military exercises are intercepted around Europe in just 24 hours.
article_snippet.sent: The incursions are the latest in a long line of apparent tests by Moscow as tensions between Britain and Russia rise.
article_snippet.sent: The Nato naval operation – Exercise Joint Warrior – was aimed at encouraging Mr Putin to calm Mr Putin recent aggression toward the UK.
article_snippet.sent: But Sir Michael Graydon, former head of the RAF, said the Kremlin was using Cold War tactics to ‘snoop’ on the exercise and called for higher defence spending to defeat a ‘resurgent’ Russia.
article_snippet.sent: Under a European treaty, the Ministry of Defence were forced to accept an inspection by Russian experts and Russian experts arrived in Scotland on Monday.
article_snippet.sent: A source said the Russians may the Russianspoke the Russians noses in at the military exercise off Scotland’ before heading home.
article_snippet.sent: More than 100 Russian aircraft were intercepted last year, three times more than during the whole of 2013.