Polish F-16 fighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea.
Poland’s Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz reported this.
He said the Russian aircraft was once again flying in international airspace without an approved flight plan and with its transponder switched off. At the same time, the plane did not violate Poland’s border.
Kosiniak-Kamysz stressed that the Polish Armed Forces constantly monitor the situation and respond to Russia’s actions in close cooperation with NATO allies, and that the security of the skies remains their top priority.
- Polish fighter jets on 15 July intercepted two Russian Su-30SM2 aircraft over the Baltic Sea that were monitoring exercises involving the interaction of air defence systems.
- On 16 July, Polish fighter jets again intercepted two Russian Su-30 aircraft over the sea.
- Russian reconnaissance and combat aircraft regularly fly over the Baltic Sea with their transponders switched off and without filing flight plans. This makes remote identification impossible and significantly complicates the work of air traffic controllers.