XPost: talk.politics.misc, alt.politics.eu, alt.politics
XPost: alt.survival

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/russian-jets-intercept-us-bombers-over-baltic-2nd-time-days

Russia on Thursday announced it had scrambled fighter jets to
intercept two inbound US strategic bomber planes in order to
prevent them from "violating the state border" over the
Baltic Sea.

It marks the second such dangerous intercept incident in
merely three days. While such incidents over the Black and
Baltic seas are not uncommon, it is unusual for more than
one encounter to be reported within only a matter of days,
suggesting the two super powers are increasingly bumping
up against each other in the region amid the unpredictable
backdrop of the Ukraine war.

Russia's military described that an Su-27 fighter jet
alongside an Su-35 were deployed in response to identifying
"the air targets as two US Air Force B-1B strategic bombers".

. . .

The USA claims they were B-52s, not B-1's

In any case, we've got classic Cold War situation at
this point. The USA/NATO simply *has* to press the
edges of the Russian military machine and the Russians
just *have* to react aggressively - and vice-versa
according to recent UK reports.

Hey, if military planes from Cuba suddenly started
coming within a few miles of Key West Naval or Miami
then the USA would also send a shitload of fighter
planes to intimidate the shit out of them. Gotta.
Can't seem weak or indecisive - that's how it works.
That corner of the Baltic is what Russia sees as
it's "back yard" and it WILL respond.

Alas such brinksmanship clearly DOES have very serious
risks of unintentional and rapid escalation. Accidents
happen, trigger-fingers get itchy, 18-year-olds may
have the missile buttons under their finger. If a B-1
or Russian fighter or bomber or ship gets blasted
then we're in SERIOUS danger given the current
climate. Same thing if we accidentally blast anything
Russian.

Like it or not there ARE significant dick-measuring rules
involved here, as always. If it was 1342 then Who Cares -
but the cost/speed of military escalations are MUCH
greater now.

We lived though the Cold War because we had a lot of
very canny people up in the ranks - people who'd
gone through WW-1, WW-2, Korea, and knew The Game.
THESE days ... Wokies, Gen-Z. Think about it.

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