Military Encounters Between Russia and the West on the Rise

ALEXEY DRUZHININ/AFP/Getty Images

Military Encounters Between Russia and the West on the Rise

Military encounters between Russia and the West have increased dramatically in recent months, according to a report released in early November. The report released by European Leadership Network (eln) documents 40 of Russia’s instigated incidents over the last eight months, and says military tension between nato and Russia has not been higher since the Cold War ended.

“These events add up to a highly disturbing picture of violations of national airspace, emergency scrambles, narrowly avoided midair collisions, close encounters at sea, simulated attack runs and other dangerous actions happening on a regular basis over a very wide geographical area,” the report’s executive summary states.

The world has been fixated on the Ukrainian crisis, but this report shows that Russian aggression extends far beyond the borders of Ukraine.

At an event to mark the 25th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, former Soviet Union leader Mikhail Gorbachev said, “The world is on the brink of a new cold war. Some are even saying that it’s already begun.”

So far this year, nato nations have conducted more than 100 intercepts of Russian aircraft—three times more than 2013. Most of these intercepts have occurred in the Baltic Sea region, but some have been oceans away from Russia.

So far this year, NATO nations have conducted more than 100 intercepts of Russian aircraft—three times more than 2013.
In September, for example, Russian bombers practiced cruise missile strikes on the U.S. from the Labrador Sea near Canada. While the aircraft didn’t enter Canadian airspace, the report said it “was still a provocative move in light of the nato summit ongoing at the time.” Cruise missiles launched from that location would have New York, Washington and Chicago within their range.

According to the eln, this is “the first time since the end of the Cold War that Russia has been rather openly treating nato and its partners as potential opponents, training accordingly and testing our defenses.”

Russia is expanding its show of military might past the European continent. Russia announced it will be sending long-range bombers to patrol North American waters including the Gulf of Mexico. Russian defense minister Sergei Shoigu said, “In the current situation, we need to secure our military presence in the western part of the Atlantic, eastern part of the Pacific oceans and the waters of the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.”

In another display of military power, President Putin sent four navy vessels toward Australia in time for the commencement of the G-20 meeting. They anchored just outside Australian waters, but not before Australian Navy frigates were sent to monitor them. “Russia is being much more assertive now than it has been for a very long time,” Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said at a press conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

While some say President Putin leaving the G-20 summit was a sign of weakness, recent events prove the opposite. President Putin is displaying his military power to the world. Read editor in chief Gerald’s Flurry’s article “Vladimir Putin Is the Prophesied Prince of Russia” to understand where Putin’s aggression is leading.