On 10 November 2014, the ELN published a report detailing specific incidents of encounters between the armed forces of NATO and its partners, and the Russian Federation.  Since that time such incidents have unfortunately continued, with the latest case apparently involving a near-collision between a civilian SAS airliner and a Russian surveillance aircraft.

The ELN has updated our interactive map, a tool that serves to highlight the global nature of these incidents. It now includes 12 new incidents classified as near-routine, and 1 new incident, the above mentioned near-collision, classified as serious. The update brings the total number of specific incidents that have occurred over the last ten months between Russian and Western militaries and security agencies, as recorded by the ELN based on publicly available sources, to 52.

The ELN reiterates the recommendations made in our report, namely:

1. The Russian leadership should urgently re-evaluate the costs and risks of continuing its more assertive military posture, and Western diplomacy should be aimed at persuading Russia to move in this direction.

2. All sides should exercise military and political restraint.

3. All sides must improve military-to-military communication and transparency.