and threatening it much harder than those Su-24s with no weapons, and that would be understandable.
Clearly your opinion Komrade A_Van. Speculation and personal prediction without evidence is a fallacy of argument. "Well, you'd do it, I'm sure of it!", is no basis to justify anything.
The truth of the matter is, as always, that our media and politicians will make of it what they like in order to justify whatever narrative they wish to pursue. It was belligerent provocation and many of us military types are wryly smiling because we all know it was a harmless beat up.
That said, if they had been gunned down, I'd be the first to say 'serves them right!' It would certainly have sent a stark message and baselined the rules of play up in the Baltic, whatever they seem to be....