Air Serbia aircraft shadowed by unidentified fighter jet in Russia
Air Serbia’s Airbus A330-200 aircraft en route from Moscow to Belgrade this Wednesday was shadowed by an alleged NATO fighter jet while still in Russian airspace near the Latvian boarder. An official report filed by Air Serbia’s pilots reads, “Not far from the Russian border with Latvia, Russian Air Traffic Control sent initial traffic information to warn us of the existence of another aircraft next to ours. Two minutes later they issued another warning to visually identify the aircraft and its altitude. It was a grey military fighter jet, which was likely a Phantom 15 or Eurofighter. The aircraft was some 2.000 to 2.500 feet beneath ours and made a right turn, without endangering the safety of our aircraft. We informed Air Traffic Control that we had visual contact but without giving further details”. The report further adds, “This incident was concerning and made us feel very uncomfortable until we left Russian airspace. We recommend that greater attention be taken into preparing these flights which are proceeding during times of increased risk and war”.
Serbia’s President, Aleksandar Vučić, said further information of the incident will be requested both from Russia and NATO. “We want to find out who is playing games and endangering the safety of passengers by flying fighter jets around and why. We have the exact coordinates where this aircraft appeared. We are under significant pressure because Serbia is the only European country that maintains flights to Moscow and St Petersburg”. He added, “Let’s not forget how we were accused of Ukrainian blood being on our planes. I do not remember that flights from Kiev to London, Budapest or Vienna were suspended when NATO bombed Serbia”.
Air Serbia has been targeted for maintaining operations to Russia since the outbreak of war in Ukraine. Its flights to the country have faced near-daily bomb threats. Yesterday evening, Air Serbia’s sales office in downtown Belgrade was evacuated for a second day in a row after an anonymous e-mail warned of explosives inside the building. All of the bomb threats have so far been false. A so-called “hit list” against select Air Serbia employees has also been forwarded in a further escalation. Serbian authorities are probing the incidents, which it is treating as terrorism. They have noted the threats are being sent from Ukraine and are being coordinated with assistance from a foreign intelligence agency.
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