Last week, NATO fighter jets conducting an air patrol mission in the Baltic region scrambled seven times to identify and escort Russian aircraft violating flight rules.
Source: “European Truth” with reference to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defenсe
Details: According to the country’s Ministry of Defenсe, on 11 December, NATO fighter jets flew sorties to identify two Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft and one Il-20 aircraft, likely of this model.
It is noted that the planes flew in international airspace from the Kaliningrad region without a flight plan, an activated radar transponder, and radio communication with the Regional Flight Control Centre.
Last Thursday, 12 December, NATO air patrol aircraft took to the air again to identify the Il-20 and Tu-214PU and the Il-18 passenger plane.
These aircraft flew from the Kaliningrad region to the Russian mainland or back without a flight plan, and the Il-20 did not have its radar transponder activated.
On 13 December, NATO fighter jets scrambled to identify an Il-76 military aircraft and two Tu-214 passenger aircraft flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia without a flight plan.
On Sunday, 15 December, an An-72 cargo plane was identified, flying to Kaliningrad without a flight plan and with its radar transponder turned off.
The Alliance’s air police mission in the Baltics is carried out from Lithuania and temporarily from Latvia while repairs are carried out at the Estonian air base.
During one week in August 2024, fighter jets performing NATO air policing functions in the Baltic states scrambled three times to intercept Russian aircraft violating flight rules.
And in early December, during patrol flights by the NATO mission near Latvian airspace, Russian military aircraft were spotted and identified.
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