Controversy over Russian spy plane near collision with passenger plane in Sweden

Reports from Sweden have it that a Russian military jet, suspected to be a spy plane, nearly collided with a commercial passenger airplane in international airspace near southern Sweden on Friday.

It was gathered that Swedish authorities diverted the passenger flight SK1755, flying from the Danish capital, Copenhagen to Poznan in Poland, before a collision occurred. The flight was operated by Cimber, owned by Scandinavian airline SAS.

Russia, on Sunday, however insisted that its jet had kept at a safe distance, saying that the two planes were not less than 70km apart.

According to Swedish military, the Russian jet was flying with its transponder switched off, making it invisible to commercial traffic control.

Swedish daily newspaper, Dagens Nyheter, quoted Daniel Josefsson of the Swedish battle command centre as saying:

“The military aircraft had no transponder but we discovered it on our radar and warned the civilian air traffic control in Malmo”

And Swedish Defence Minister, Peter Hultqvist, speaking on Swedish radio on Saturday, said: 

“This is serious. This is inappropriate. It’s outright dangerous when you turn off the transponder”.

But news agency, TASS quoted Russia’s Defence Ministry spokesman, Genral Major Igor Konashenko, as saying: 

“A flight was carried out in strict accordance with international rules on air space and did not violate the borders of other countries and was at a safe distance from the flight paths of civilian airplanes”

Since tension with the West heightened over Russia’s role in the conflict in Ukraine, Russia has increased its military presence in the Baltic Sea area.

After a squadron of Russian warships entered the English Channel last month, Sweden said it had proof a foreign submarine was operating illegally in its waters in October. 

The Globe and Mail also informs that:

Britain also launched a submarine search, helped by NATO allies. 

Earlier this month NATO complained Russian military aircraft are posing a threat to civilian planes by turning off communications devices and failing to file flight plans. 

NATO warplanes have had to scramble 400 times this year in response to an increase in Russian air activity around Europe.