Russian Recon Plane Caught by Polish Fighters Over Baltic Sea
Polish fighter jets intercepted and escorted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft near the borders of Poland’s airspace.
The Gaze reports this, referring to PAP.
Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces said that Polish fighter jets carried out the interception, visual identification, and escort of a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that was flying over the Baltic Sea near Polish airspace.
In addition, radar systems detected objects entering Polish airspace from the direction of Belarus overnight. After analysis, it was determined that these were most likely smuggling balloons. According to the command, all objects were continuously monitored by radar systems.
For security reasons, Poland temporarily closed part of its airspace over the Podlaskie Voivodeship to civilian aviation. The command emphasized that these measures were preventive and aimed at ensuring the safety of air traffic and the country’s territory.
Russian military aircraft interceptions over the Baltic Sea have become a routine occurrence rather than an exceptional incident for NATO countries. In recent months, Germany, Poland, and the United Kingdom have repeatedly scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian reconnaissance planes approaching or testing alliance airspace.
These episodes follow a familiar pattern as Russian aircrafts fly with transponders switched off and without flight plans, prompting NATO’s air defense systems to respond.
Earlier, on September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets entered Estonian airspace for several minutes, what Tallinn described as an unusually brazen violation. The aircraft flew with transponders switched off and without communication with air traffic control, prompting NATO to scramble allied fighter jets and leading Estonia to raise the issue within the Alliance under Article 4 of the Washington Treaty.
In response, NATO strongly condemned Russia’s actions and reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to collective defense under Article 5. Following an emergency meeting of the North Atlantic Council, the Alliance warned Moscow that all necessary military and non-military means would be used for deterrence.
As The Gaze reported earlier, European Union member states are considering granting Frontex, the bloc’s border and coast guard agency, new powers to help monitor European airspace.
Read more on The Gaze: The Baltic is Becoming a Battleground Between NATO and Russia