NATO jets scrambled five times to identify Russian aircraft

NATO fighter jets conducting Baltic air-policing duties scrambled five times last week to identify and escort Russian aircraft that breached flight rules, LRT reported, citing Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence.

On August 3, the jets scrambled to identify two Su-24M attack aircraft. NATO air-policing fighters also scrambled in response to the same two aircraft on August 5 and 7.

In each case, the aircraft took off from and returned to Russia’s Kaliningrad region. They flew without active transponders or flight plans and did not maintain radio contact with the Regional Flight Control Centre.

On August 5, NATO fighters also identified a Russian Su-30SM fighter that flew from the Kaliningrad region and returned there. It was flying without an active transponder or flight plan and did not maintain radio contact with the Regional Flight Control Centre.

On August 7, NATO air-policing fighters identified an Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft flying from the Kaliningrad region to mainland Russia. The aircraft was not transmitting an active transponder signal and had no flight plan, but maintained radio contact with the Regional Flight Control Centre.

NATO’s Baltic air-policing mission operates from Lithuania and Estonia.