Reuters
It was revealed on Sunday that a U.S. reconnaissance plane crossed into Swedish airspace last month in order to avoid a potential confrontation with heavily armed Russian fighters. On July 18, an Air Force RC-135 electronic surveillance plane was approached by a Russian aircraft while flying near Kaliningrad, according to Swedish news media. That area marks a heavily militarized region for Russia between Lithuania and Poland. “The aircraft commander, acting in a professional and safe manner, maneuvered the aircraft to avoid a possible encounter by Russian aircraft,” said the United States European Command in a statement. The near-confrontation in the sky is one of a series of aerial encounters in recent months between the U.S. and Russia. The increasing distrust and polarized exchanges indicates a return to Cold War era relations.