According to the dpa news agency, the spokesman said that the number had increased since 2015, when jets scrambled 410 times.
The spokesman added that such increase was connected with the deterioration of security situation in the Middle East and Russia's military involvement in the Syrian conflict that led to increased number of flights of Turkish military aircraft under NATO command.
The relations between NATO and Russia worsened in 2014 against the background of theUkrainian crisis. The Western military alliance accused Russia of interfering in the conflict and decided to boost its military presence in Eastern Europe.
Moscow has repeatedly denied allegations of involvement in Ukraine and have warned that amassing troops and military equipment on its borders is provocative, violates past NATO pledges, and can lead to regional and global destabilization.
