The Russian Federation deals with very dangerous pressure by simulated air strikes from the territory of Ukraine, military expert Andrey Koshkin believes.
Air forces of NATO countries makes regular flights to simulate missile attacks on the territory of Russia, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in an interview with Russia-24 TV channel.
"There is something else that is more alarming. In the past, it was mostly reconnaissance aircraft, although it was less frequent back then. These days, however, we witness regular training flights, in which еун imitate missile blows, including with the use of a large number of aircraft," said Shoigu.
Andrei Koshkin, the head of the Association of Military Political Scientists, chair of the Department of Political Science and Sociology of the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, told Pravda.Ru that the era of reconnaissance flights, when air and sea borders are violated, becomes a thing of the past.
Nowadays, NATO is developing military exercises, in which strategic nuclear-capable aircraft simulate missile strikes without violating the borders, the expert noted.
According to him, this indicates an increase in activities directed against the Russian Federation. Moreover, they prepare the population of Ukraine for such exercises.
"All this complicates the situation and requires adequate actions on our part, namely, the deployment of additional units that could localize this kind of threat. We respond by showing the the readiness of our Air Force, and NATO strategic bombers are forced to leave," said Andrey Koshkin.
The expert regrets that the intensity of the confrontation does not decrease. This is evidenced by what has been happening in Belarus, and by the provocation committed against opposition activist Aleksei Navalny.
All this creates dangerous pressure against Russia. However, in order to respond symmetrically, one needs to have resources, skills, irresistible desire, mobility, purposefulness. Sometimes, Russia fails to coordinate its actions.
"The UN Security Council vote on Iran failed, and the United States suffered a fiasco. Germany made a serious accusation against Russia when it was announced that Navalny was poisoned. However, mere criticism is not enough. We need to work harder," said the expert.
Three US Air Force B-52H bombers took off from a base in the UK on 4 September 2020. After they entered Ukrainian airspace, they turned southeast and flew along the coast of the Sea of Azov to Genichesk. The most northeastern section of the route was south of the city of Melitopol, about 120 km from the border with the People's Republic of Donetsk. American bombers were escorting Ukrainian Su-27 fighters.
Several US aerial reconnaissance aircraft, as well as a UK radio monitoring aircraft were operating in the area at the time.
According to the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, four Su-27 fighters and four Su-30 fighters from air defense units of the Southern Military District took off to intercept the US Air Force aircraft over the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov to prevent their unauthorized invasion of Russian airspace.