Warsaw: Poland scrambled fighter jets above the Baltic Sea on Thursday after Russian military aircraft carried out another series of flights near NATO airspace. Polish pilots intercepted two Su-30 fighters before being redirected to shadow a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, officials said in a statement.
According to Anadolu Agency, the operation began after two Russian Su-30 multirole fighter aircraft were detected flying above international waters in the Baltic Sea. A pair of Polish Air Force fighters stationed on NATO's Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) duty at the 22nd Tactical Air Base in Malbork were scrambled to intercept them.
Shortly after completing that mission, the Polish aircraft were redirected to identify and monitor a Russian Il-20 electronic intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft operating in the region. The Russian aircraft did not violate Polish airspace, but the operation formed part of NATO's routine air policing mission aimed at monitoring Russian military activity near the alliance's borders.
The incident comes days after Polish fighters intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft that approached to within around 30 kilometers (19 miles) of the Polish coast near Ustka. Military officials said Russian reconnaissance flights above the Baltic Sea have become more frequent since Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Aircraft such as the Il-20 are used to collect electronic intelligence and monitor NATO military activity, while fighter escorts are intended to protect reconnaissance missions and demonstrate Russia's military presence.
Russian military flights above international waters are not prohibited under international law, but NATO routinely scrambles aircraft to identify, shadow and monitor them whenever they approach allied airspace or fail to follow standard aviation procedures. Polish officials said the growing frequency of the incidents underlines the increasingly tense security environment on NATO's eastern flank, where military activity has intensified since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine.