Russian Patriarch Kirill announced that a NATO fighter jet intercepted his plane during a flight to Kaliningrad.
„The Patriarch is flying a passenger plane. Why should NATO fighters meet him? What danger can a Patriarch pose who is flying to his flock? And suddenly an F-16, a formidable NATO plane, appears and gets closer and closer to the Patriarch's plane. Why are you doing it? You won't scare the Patriarch - that's for sure!“ - the Patriarch is quoted as saying on the website of the Russian Orthodox Church.
The Patriarch noted that such actions could deepen the conflict between East and West, and also lead to casualties. He called on people not to succumb to provocations, but to follow their "civilizational path".
It was previously reported that Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia arrived on a pontifical visit to Kaliningrad.