NATO Air Policing Fighters Intercepted Russian Aircraft Five Times Over Baltic States
Fighter jets serving as NATO air policing in the Baltic States took off five times last week to identify and escort Russian aircraft flying in international airspace, the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence said on Monday.
Last Monday, on Lithuania's Independence Day, NATO Air Policing fighters flew to identify and escort a Tupolev TU-134 passenger jet and an Il-76 transport aircraft.
On the same day, NATO air policing fighter jets flew to identify and escort an AN-26 transport aircraft and a TU-134 passenger aircraft.
On Tuesday, NATO air policing fighter jets flew to identify and escort two aircraft, a TU-22M3 missile carrier and two SU-30SM fighters. On the same day, NATO air policing fighters also flew to identify and escort an IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
On Friday, NATO Air Policing identified and escorted an IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
The aircraft was flying in international airspace between Kaliningrad and mainland Russia in both directions.
Some of the aircraft reportedly failed to file flight plans, flew with radar transponders switched off, and did not maintain radio contact with the regional air traffic control centre.