NATO fighters scrambled four times to identify and escort Russian aircraft

NATO fighter jets conducting air policing duties over the Baltic states scrambled four times last week to identify and escort Russian aircraft that violated flight rules, the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence reported on Monday.

On June 16, NATO jets were scrambled to identify a SU-24MR attack bomber, with an additional sighting of a TU-214 passenger aircraft. On June 19, alliance forces identified a SU-34 fighter jet and escorted a SU-30SM fighter. The following day, June 20, NATO jets were scrambled to identify an AN-30 reconnaissance aircraft, as well as SU-24MR and SU-35 fighter jets.

The NATO air policing mission in the Baltic states is carried out from bases in Lithuania and Estonia.