A Russian fighter jet reportedly came with a mile of an Israeli passenger aircraft before being warned off by Cypriot air controllers, the Ynet news site reported after midnight Sunday.
The incident occurred Sunday afternoon when the Russian Sukhoi Su-27 approached and flew alongside an Israil Airbus A320 flying from the Greek island of Rhodes to Tel Aviv, Ynet said
According to the report the jet flew alongside the passenger aircraft for more than a minute at a distance considered unsafe before air traffic controllers in Cyprus warned it away.
The report said that at no time were the aircraft or passengers in danger. It was unclear if the incident was deliberate or just a misunderstanding.
Russia has fighter aircraft stationed in nearby Syria, where it is assisting the Assad regime in the civil war, leading to crowded skies in the region where Israeli, Turkish and coalition military aircraft also operate, alongside civilian planes.
Source : Agencies
