REUTERS

On Nov 28, Belgian warplanes scrambled to intercept Russian Su-27 Flanker jets in the Baltic Region, the Belgian Air Force tweeted on Thursday.

"Yesterday, #F16 @beairforce, currently deployed in the Baltic Region to safeguard the integrity of NATO airspace, intercepted Russian Flanker Jets flying w/o flight plan. Our mission @BelgiumDefence is to protect your security," the tweet said.

As UNIAN reported earlier, early November saw a Russian fighter jet zoom dangerously close to a U.S. Navy reconnaissance plane over the Black Sea, the second publicized interdiction this year.

Video released by the Navy showed the Sukhoi Su-27 Flanker forcing the EP-3 Aries II aircraft's crew to fly through the turbulent wash of its afterburners.

While these encounters can turn harrowing for the crews, the intercepts also mark a return to Cold War behavior over the skies of Eastern Europe, experts told Navy Times. Some analysts warn the Russians have been getting too close, raising the specter that the aerial interdiction flights could trigger fatalities and larger conflict.