The Pentagon announced today (April 25, 2014) that Russian warplanes have entered Ukrainian airspace several times in the last 24 hours, according to the USA Today website.
U.S. officials called on Russia to cease the operations, said Army Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman. "We call upon the Russians to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation," Warren said.
Ukraine's air defenses are old but still potent enough to shoot down Russian aircraft, said Michael O'Hanlon, a military analyst at the Brookings Institution. In fact, drawing fire might be Russia's intent by entering Ukraine's airspace.
"I don't put a deliberate provocation, in order to create a pretext for response and invasion, past Putin at this point," O'Hanlon said. In other words, Putin is ordering Russian warplanes to fly over Ukraine in order to have them shot at by Ukrainians, thus "justifying" his decision for Russia to attack Ukraine and seize control of it.
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