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Recent Russian military flights into European airspace were meant to demonstrate to the West that the country is a "great power", Nato's supreme allied commander said.
Although there has been an increase in Russian air activity over Europe during the past year, last week marked the first time Moscow had sent in larger formations of warplanes, General Philip Breedlove said on Monday.
"My opinion is they're messaging us. They're messaging us that they are a great power," Breedlove said.
Moscow wanted to show it can exert influence on the alliance's calculations, he said.
Nato last week reported a series of flights by Russian fighter jets, long-range bombers and tanker aircraft over the Baltics, North Sea and Atlantic Ocean, days before a controversial election held by pro-Moscow separatists in Ukraine on Sunday.
Nato fighter jets quickly intercepted the Russian planes and escorted them out of European airspace without incident.
In the past, Russian flights were carried out by small groups of one or two aircraft, he said.
"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," the US general said. The flights were cause for "concern" and "do not add to or contribute to a secure and stable situation".
Russian naval forces have also taken provocative steps over the past year in the Black Sea and Pacific Ocean, Breedlove said.
The head of Nato forces and top US general in Europe spoke a day after controversial elections held by pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine, which have been denounced as illegitimate by the US and Europe.
Breedlove said it was too early to say how the polls would affect security in Ukraine, but said the elections were "not helpful" to efforts to end the conflict.
Citing a "revanchist Russia", Breedlove said he favoured placing more US troops in eastern Europe on temporary deployments, in addition to measures already taken to reassure partners on Nato's eastern border.
"Because of the increased pressure we feel in eastern Europe now and because of the assurance measures we're taking in the Baltics, in Poland, in Romania, we require additional rotational presence," he said.


Russian military flights into European airspace 'to show it is great power'

Nato Supreme Allied Commander General PhilipBreedlove says Moscow wants to show it can exert influence on the alliance's calculations. Photo: AP

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Recent Russian military flights into European airspace were meant to demonstrate to the West that the country is a "great power", Nato's supreme allied commander said.


Russian military flights into European airspace 'to show it is great power'

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Recent Russian military flights into European airspace were meant to demonstrate to the West that the country is a "great power", Nato's supreme allied commander said.

Recent Russian military flights into European airspace were meant to demonstrate to the West that the country is a "great power", Nato's supreme allied commander said.