A Russian military jet nearly collided with a commercial passenger airplane in international airspace near southern Sweden on Friday, Swedish authorities said yesterday, but Russia insisted its jet had kept at a safe distance.

Passenger flight SK1755, operated by a unit of Scandinavian airline service SAS from the Danish capital Copenhagen to Poznan in Poland, was diverted by Swedish authorities before a collision occurred, the authorities said.

But Russia’s Defence Ministry yesterday denied its plane had come close to colliding with a civilian airliner, official news agency Tass reported.

“A flight was carried out in strict accordance with international rules on air space and did not violate the borders of other countries and was at a safe distance from the flight paths of civilian airplanes,” Defence Ministry spokesman General Major Igor Konashenko was quoted as saying.

Russian military aircraft are posing threat to civilian planes by turning off communications devices

Relations between Russia and the West have soured in recent months over Moscow’s role in the conflict in Ukraine and its annexation of Crimea. Many European countries have cited suspected displays of Russian military prowess. A squadron of Russian warships entered the English Channel last month and Sweden said it had proof a foreign submarine was operating illegally in its waters in October. Britain also launched a submarine search, helped by Nato allies.

Earlier this month Nato complained Russian military aircraft were posing a threat to civilian planes by turning off communications devices and failing to file flight plans. Nato warplanes have had to scramble 400 times this year in response to increased Russian air activity .

Swedish military had said the Russian jet was flying with its transponder (a communications device which makes it easier for an airplane to be located) switched off.

“The military aircraft had no transponder but we discovered it on our radar and warned the civilian air traffic control in Malmo,” Daniel Josefsson of the Swedish battle command centre was quoted saying in daily Dagens Nyheter on Saturday.