MOSCOW, June 23 (Xinhua) -- Russian jets have intercepted 14 foreign planes near its borders in the past week, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a report published on Krasnaya Zvezda newspaper on Friday.

According to the report, a total of 23 reconnaissance flights were carried out near the Russian borders last week by aircraft of seven countries.

Among them, 10 flights were performed by the United States' PC-135 jets and RQ-4B Global Hawk drones. Four were conducted by Norwegian P-3 Orions, and three by Swedish Air Force's Gulfstream intelligence planes.

Planes of British and French air forces were each spotted twice by Russian air defense agencies in the past week. Portuguese and Japanese aircraft also made appearances close to Russia's external frontiers.

It is reported that the number of incidents involving Russia and NATO military aircraft has increased since 2014, when relations between Moscow and Washington worsened amid the Ukraine conflict.

On June 21, Russia accused a NATO F-16 fighter aircraft of making an attempt to approach a Russian plane carrying Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu over neutral Baltic waters.

The Baltic region has become a hotspot for Russia-NATO confrontation as the U.S.-led alliance is increasing its military presence in the area near the Russian border. Enditem

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