Russia have accused NATO of military provocation after NATO fighter jets followed Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu’s plane over the Baltic Sea this week. Shoigu was heading towards Kaliningrad over neutral waters when his plane was shadowed by a group of NATO fighters from 2 kilometers behind. RT.com reports: The NATO jets did not approach the defense minister’s plane, which was escorted by several Su-27 fighter jets, according to pool correspondents of RIA Novosti, TASS and Interfax, who were on the same plane as the defense minister. The correspondents identified the planes as Eurofighter Typhoons, multirole fighters designed for NATO. Shoigu, who had repeatedly voiced concerns over NATO’s continuing build-up across Eastern and Central Europe, arrived in Russia’s western exclave of Kaliningrad on Monday to inspect the reconstruction of the Chkalovsk Military Airfield outside the city. The standoff between NATO and Russia escalated in 2014, after Ukraine, which had previously insisted on its non-aligned status, went through a violent protest that ousted its elected government and imposed a new one, backed by the West. Kiev’s new authorities have since made joining NATO one of their top priorities, claiming that they need protection against Russia. The US and EU have repeatedly [...]