Vladimir Putin’s presidential plane escorted across Switzerland by fighter jets as tensions with Europe escalate

ONE of Vladimir Putin’s official Presidential planes was escorted through Swiss skies by fighter jets sparking more tension between Russia and the rest of Europe.

A shocked passenger on board the state plane, carrying a delegation of officials and journalists, took pictures showing the Swiss Air Force F/A 18 jets fighters flying by their side.

Andrey Kolesnikov, editor-in-chief of the magazine Russian Pioneer, wrote on Facebook: "We’re flying above Switzerland.

"At some point, the plane with the delegation and the journalists is being blocked from three sides by three fighter jets."

Kolesnikov said the aircraft were so near he could see the faces of the Swiss pilots.

As fears mounted the Peru-bound plane would be forced to make an emergency landing, the Swiss jets pulled away as they reached the border.

Moscow sought an explanation from the Swiss government over the mid-air incident involving the government airliner en route to the APEC summit.

"(We) have expressed surprise and asked for explanations from Switzerland over the incident with the Russian government plane in the sky of the Confederation," Russia's embassy in Switzerland wrote.

Switzerland said it had merely been making routine checks.

The Swiss Defence Ministry said two of its F/A-18s had flown alongside the Russian plane for seven minutes over Swiss territory.

It said such moves were conducted around 400 times a year to double-check the identity of planes belonging to foreign governments.

"It's like police patrols in the street checking a car to make sure it wasn't stolen," a spokesman said.

A growing military presence in Eastern Europe, its alliance with Syria's President Bashar Al-Assad and boasts about nuclear capabilities has put much of the continent on high-alert over Russia.