A Russian fighter jet on Sunday reportedly came dangerously close to an Israeli passenger aircraft while on route from the Greek island of Rhodes to Tel Aviv's Ben-Gurion Airport.
The incident occurred when the Israir flight entered Cypriot air space. No casualties or damage were reported.
The Russian Sukhoi Su-27 came to within a mile from the Israir Airbus A320, a distance considered unsafe, for several minutes before air traffic controllers in Cyprus warned it away.
Russia has fighter aircraft stationed in nearby Syria, where it is assisting the Assad regime in the civil war, leading to crowded skies in the region where Israeli, Turkish and coalition military aircraft also operate, alongside civilian planes.
The Russian have reportedly increased their air presence in the area over the past weeks in an effort to better protect Russian troops posted at the Latakia Air Base.
Air operations and training by Israel, France, the United States and the United Kingdom take place on a regular basis over the Mediterranean sea and in coordination with nations in the area. But Russian fighter jets have crossed flight routes and shadowed passenger aircraft on more than one occasion, posing a threat to commercial flights.