I think that we have to be careful not to try and guess what the Russians' real intentions are. The fact remains that the Russian armed forces went through some lean times over the past few years; their level of training was reduced to a minimum that I would consider almost unacceptable in order to maintain forces in good standing. Their economy has since revived, and they have been taking up the slack. According to what we have been seeing in recent years, their military is simply regaining strength.
With regard to the conduct of the aircraft and crew during this time of increased flights over the Arctic, I have not sensed any aggressive behaviour. However, it is not for me to judge whether the political intent is aggressive or not.