Expatica news

Portugal escorts Russian boat from its waters

The Portugese Navy escorted a Russian oceanographic ship out of its waters Wednesday in response to the latest in a series of territorial incursions by a Russian vessel or plane.

Portugal identified the ship in the section of sea it has exclusive resource rights over and then guided the vessel back into international waters, Portugal’s Defence Minister Jose Pedro Aguiar-Branco told Portugese press agency LUSA.

The incident comes just a week after Portuguese fighter jets intercepted on two separate occasions Russian military planes in international airspace that was under Portugal’s jurisdiction.

Russia denied its planes had violated Portuguese airspace.

Russian military jets have significantly increased their activity over Europe since the crisis in Ukraine erupted last year.

NATO has intercepted Russian aircraft on more than 100 occasions so far this year, three times more than all of 2013, its new head Jens Stoltenberg said in October.