PIX: Russian Su24 Fencers buzzed Belgian Navy ship Godetia..

[Stratofreighter]

...see this link for the pictures/video-interview.
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2018/11/25 ... n-gewapen/
/
https://translate.google.com/translate? ... edit-text=

Armed Russian jets flew over Belgian Navy ship

The crew of a Belgian Navy ship that is on a NATO duties in the Baltic looked on in shock
as two Russian SU-24 bombers flew low over their vessel on Thursday morning 22nov2018.

The ship, the Godetia is currently the command ship of NATO’s northern mine sweeping fleet.

The fighter jets were carrying bombs under their wings in what is a further escalation of tension between Russia and the West.

The incident happened at around 9am on Thursday 22nov2018 .
The jets flew over the Godetia three times.
The Godetia is part of a 6 ship NATO mine sweeping fleet in the Baltic Sea.
The ship is used as the fleet’s command ship.

The Belgian frigate captain Peter Ramboer gave the other ships in the fleet that are under his command
the order not to act as any action could lead to a serious escalation.

Captain Ramboer told VRT News’ Jan Balliauw
“I wouldn’t want to be the person that had caused a third world war because on an error of judgement”.

Captain Ramboer was speaking during a visit to his ship
by the new Belgian Defence Minister Sander Loones (Flemish nationalist).

Photographs released by the Belgian Navy confirm that the fighter jets had “dirty wings”,
a term to describe military aircraft that are armed.
The missiles can be seen next to the plane’s fuel tanks.

The missiles are believed to be Kh-25s.
This is an air to ground missile with a range of between 10km and 40km.
Depending on the version deployed, the missiles can also be used to attack ships.

18:35

[Fullback_34]

Well, Russia does feel threatened by the build-up of NATO forces at the border, so they're quite nervous. I know that from the Western side, it's the Russians who look threatening, but...

[Wildpicture]

Well, Russia does feel threatened by the build-up of NATO forces at the border, so they're quite nervous.

Are you one of the Russian trolls who keep posting on all kinds of western social media, trying to influence people and create chaos?

[Alpha Kilo One]

Well, Russia does feel threatened by the build-up of NATO forces at the border

Don't make me laugh please.......

[76-er]

How’s the weather in St. Petersburg?

[Fullback_34]

I'm not trying to influence anyone, it's just that every country sees military action close to its borders as threatening.
If I was on a Russian forum, I'd have said "well, you know, the Westerners feel threatened, too"...

But well, it's nothing new: since 1945, each side has been afraid of the other, so when side A buys more weapons, side B sees an increase in foreign military presence and buys more weapons, then side A sees an increase in foreign military presence and buys more weapons, then side B sees an increase in foreign military presence and buys more weapons, and... Well, you know how it works. There was a lull when Russia couldn't buy weapons for 10-15 years, but they haven't stopped feeling threatened, so when they were finally able to fund their military, guess what happened?

[Richard from Rotterdam]

Exactly, Russia felt a bit powerful and invaded Ukraine. Nice going. And always this talk of Russia being the eternal victim, a bit sad.

[Fullback_34]

And if I was on a Russian forum, I'd have gotten in return something along the lines of "Exactly, USA felt powerful and organised civil wars in Ukraine and Syria. Nice going. And always this talk of Western Europe being eternally threatened, a bit sad".

I'm not trying to do propaganda, I was just telling that it's interesting how both sides feel threatened and are calling out the other's aggressive behavior.

[pjotrtje]

Just to be complete here: Russia has always (even in the times of the Soviet Union) felt threatened by forces close to their borders. You might say it's part of their cultural background. The fact that NATO expanded into Poland, Hungary, the Czech and Slovak republics, Romania, Bulgaria and the Baltic states (something the western powers said they wouldn't do in the early nineties...) was, is and continues to be seen as a threat. We from our end can say "but there are no significant forces present, there, at all!" yet the Russian public feels that they're being surrounded.
"Our presence" in the Baltic Sea is seen as unwelcome presence, just like the daily RC-135V/W flight into the Baltic Sea (monitoring activity around Kaliningrad, especially) is seen as a set of prying eyes.