Relax, popeye! Saying they panicked is just a manner of speach. The point is just that the Russians overflew and the Americans reacted. The drills were interrupted. For a few moments? Severely disrupted? Who knows. But the Russian action was noticed officially and publicly, which is what matters to them. This is a gesture of the Russians toward China, just as Medvedev's visit to the disputed islands was not too long ago. The Russians are saying to China: "We are still with you".
And When Mao describes the Russians as courageous, he is just saying, maybe, that he wishes China would act this way too! In this, I think he's wrong. The Russians certainly win the public relations accolades. Putin is admired throughout Latin America, India, and much of the third world generally, for example. But the Chinese methods are more effective, in my opinion.
