Russian fighter jets chase away foreign jets six times in past week

MOSCOW, July 14 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Defence Ministry announced here on Friday that the Russian air force had intercepted foreign jets for six times in the past week.

About 20 foreign aircraft conducted aerial reconnaissance along the external border of Russia's airspace within the week but did not trespass into the country's territory, the ministry said.

The number of air incidents involving Russian planes and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) ones has increased over the past years since the U.S.-led alliance ratcheted up its military presence on Russia's western border in 2014.