Russia almost shot down UK plane near Crimea: Leaked documents
Jack Birle
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Leaked documents appear to show that a Russian fighter jet nearly shot down a British aircraft last year off the coast of Russian-occupied Crimea.
The incident occurred on Sept. 29, 2022, with one of the Russian planes coming within 15 feet of the British surveillance plane but was not previously described as a “near-shoot down” as the leaked documents report it was.
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If the plane had been shot down, it could have prompted the United Kingdom to invoke Article 5 of the NATO treaty, which would have called upon other NATO countries, including the United States, to come to the United Kingdom’s aid. Such action would get the U.S. involved in a direct war with Russia.
The U.S. and the U.K. have avoided getting involved in direct warfare against Russia in the war in Ukraine, but they have given Ukraine aid as a form of indirect support.
Leaked documents that surfaced in recent days have shown that the U.S. has been able to warn Ukraine’s forces of various Russian strikes throughout the war successfully. The document leaked from the Pentagon showed that Russian intelligence and security services had been penetrated by the U.S.
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Sources and methods were not described in the documents, but the Department of Defense and the Justice Department have both said they are investigating the leaks.
Ukraine is widely expected to mount a counteroffensive in the war as the conflict moves into its 14th month. The war in Ukraine began in February 2022, when Russian forces moved into the neighboring country and attempted a quick takeover of the country.