MOSCOW. Feb 16 (Interfax) - The United States has increased flights of strategic and reconnaissance aircraft near Russia's borders, while NATO is conducting provocative activities in the Black Sea, Russian Security Council Deputy Secretary Mikhail Popov said.
"It is impossible not to note the significant intensification of the U.S. armed forces in the western strategic direction. In particular, the intensity of flights near Russian borders by American strategic bombers has increased by 40% over the past year alone," he said in an interview with the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper.
"The intensity of aerial reconnaissance has almost doubled in order to identify opportunities to break through Russian access restriction (exclusion) zones, primarily in the Kaliningrad region and Crimea," he said.
"NATO ships are continuing provocative activities in the Black Sea area," Popov said.