Canadian ship tracked by Russian warplanes

Frigate was on NATO mission in Black Sea in March when approached, navy report says

OTTAWA— Russian warplanes repeatedly flew over a Canadian warship during its recent operations in the Black Sea, according to a declassified navy report.

The report, obtained by the Star, says that on March 6 the two warplanes approached HMCS Fredericton, initially at a “medium altitude” — one at a time to show the ship’s crew they were not carrying weapons — and then for the next 30 minutes flew near the ship.

“The aircraft continued to operate in the vicinity of (Fredericton), flying at low and medium altitudes at distances that ranged from “over top” to several miles from (Fredericton). The Russian aircraft were not in communication with the (Fredericton),” the report said.

The frigate was in the Black Sea as part of Operation Reassurance, an ongoing show of force by NATO in eastern Europe meant to deter further Russian aggression. The commander of the warship said the warplanes changed their altitudes and proximity in a deliberate fashion, apparently to avoid alarming the Canadian crew about their intentions.

“They slowly closed (in on) the (Fredericton) decreasing their closest point of approach and altitude in steps to minimize confusion as to their intentions,” the report stated.

While the actions of the Russian aircraft were expected, it marked an escalation in activity compared with the previous day when Russian patrol vessels were seen near the Fredericton but “maintained a significant standoff distance,” the report said.

The report contradicts NATO’s own assessment of the incident, which downplayed the interaction between the Russian aircraft and the frigate.

But Defence Minister Jason Kenney, who took some criticism after going public with details of the incident, said the report vindicates his version of events.

He said the ship’s crew “carefully observed, recorded, and reported Russian military aircraft flying around and over the vessel."

“Uninformed sources later claimed that this incident never occurred. They were plainly wrong,” Kenney said in a statement Tuesday.

“We did not consider the Russian air passes a threat, but rather an indication that the Russian military had noticed the presence of our navy in the Black Sea, which was evidence that we had achieved one of the objectives.”

Such encounters are not uncommon, part of the military muscleflexing between NATO and Russia.

But these incidents have taken on heightened importance because of the broader tensions over Russia’s annexation of Crimea and its backing of pro-Russian separatists fighting in eastern Ukraine.