Sweden and Germany military officials stated that air force jets from both countries were scrambled on Sunday (September 21st) to intercept and track an unidentified Russian reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea.
Sweden deployed two Jas 39 Gripen jets, while Germany dispatched two Eurofighter jets, to monitor and photograph the Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace. Swedish and German air force officials noted that the Russian plane did not provide a flight plan and had its radio communications, which could identify its presence, switched off.
This surveillance operation concluded without any incidents. NATO and EU member states have remained highly vigilant of Russia’s military and reconnaissance activities both within and outside of their airspace.
The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that last Friday, three Russian fighter jets entered Estonian airspace without permission and stayed for 12 minutes. Prior to this incident, Russian drones violated Polish airspace, eventually being intercepted and shot down by NATO jets, intensifying concerns about the potential spill-over of the conflict in Ukraine.
The Swedish Air Force posted on its X platform account: “Today, Swedish Jas 39 Gripen jets and German Eurofighter Typhoon jets were scrambled over the southern Baltic Sea to identify and monitor a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance plane in international airspace.”
The German Luftwaffe stated that its jets initially conducted follow-up monitoring on the Russian aircraft before transferring the surveillance mission to Swedish jets, then returning to Rostock-Laage Airport in northern Germany.
(Adapted from related reports by the Associated Press)