Russian Planes And NATO: Amid Global Tensions, Confusion Over Unidentified Aircraft Fuels Rumors Of Conflict

A Russian plane dodged an "unidentified aircraft" Thursday, according to the Russian Interfax news agency reported, citing a law enforcement official. Both the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the Russian airline involved rejected Interfax's assertion that the aircraft was of NATO military origin.

“This is complete nonsense,” the unnamed spokesperson for the Aeroflot carrier told RIA Novosti, adding that the matter was “not even worth” an official comment. NATO also denied the interception, according to the U.K.-based Independent.

Interfax had reported earlier Thursday that the airliner “urgently” dove to avoid the aircraft. The news agency categorized the unidentified aircraft as “presumably” of NATO origin, but not confirm its suspicions.

While the likelihood that the interception actually occurred remained murky as of Thursday afternoon, Russian jets have made a series of similar moves over the past year, alarming NATO members.

As recently as Sept. 7, a Russian fighter jet flew “extremely close” to an U.S. Navy plane soaring over the Black Sea and spent 19 minutes intercepting it, Navy Capt. Jeff Davis told the Washington Post.

In mid-April, a Russian jet flew “dangerously close” to a U.S. ship conducting standard peacetime activities, as White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest put it, according to the New York Times. The newspaper also noted that Earnest cited such “repeated incidents” as a cause for concern.

Just four days later, a Russian plane barrel-roll over a U.S. spy plane on a routine mission, while the American aircraft was on what Davis told the Washington Post was a routine mission.

The U.S. hasn’t been the only target of seemingly hostile Russian aircraft maneuvers. Two Russian bombers flew from Norway to the south of Spain and back in early October, prompting Norway, Spain, the U.K. and France to scramble their jets, the BBC reported, eventually intercepting the Russian jets as they headed home on a path just north of Ireland and Scandinavia.