Minister’s close call

A NATO military plane yesterday approached the plane of Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu above the Baltic Sea, Russian news agencies reported, the third such encounter in three days.

A NATO fighter jet tried to approach Mr Shoigu’s plane but a Russian escort plane intervened to defend it, Interfax news agency reported.

The escort plane, a Sukhoi SU-27, demonstrated it was armed by rocking its wings, after which the NATO plane flew off. The incident took place over neutral waters.