Russian Warplanes Invading European Airspace Meant To Send Ominous Message, NATO Commander Warns

Russian warplanes that have invaded the airspace of neighboring countries are meant to send an ominous message, the supreme allied commander of NATO said on Monday.

Within the last few weeks, Russia has dramatically increased activity in the North Atlantic, sending smaller aircraft, and more recently, large warplanes in what is believed to be a test of NATO’s defenses.

The move is largely seen as a power play by both Russia and President Vladimir Putin, a strategy that NATO General Philip Breedove said is meant to intimidate Europe.

“My opinion is they’re messaging us. They’re messaging us that they are a great power,” Breedlove said.

Last week, in a span of 24 hours, Russia sent 19 fighter jets to test NATO defenses across Europe and also test-launched a ballistic missile in the Barents Sea, north of Sweden.

Some U.S. military officials believe Russia is trying to make a dry run for nuclear strikes.

“That could certainly be the case,” retired Air Force Lt. Gen. David Deptula, the service’s influential former intelligence chief, told the Daily Beast. “It is not farfetched that at some point within the next two years [Russian President Vladimir] Putin makes a more aggressive move in Eastern Europe and uses a nuclear threat to deter a NATO response.”

Though Russia has been using its military planes to test defenses for weeks — including runs near the borders of the United States and Canada — Breedlove said the recent movements have been larger and more deliberate.

“And what you saw this past week was a larger, more complex formation of aircraft, carrying out a little deeper — I would say a little bit more provocative flight path,” he said.

Russia has also intensified the conflict with neighboring Ukraine, with recent reports of an “intensive” movement of troops and equipment. Officials in Ukraine reported seeing 20 trucks headed to the rebel-held city of Donetsk. The troop buildup and fighter jet runs come days before a controversial election to be held in Ukraine by pro-Russia separatists. Russia and Vladimir Putin said they would recognize the results of the election.