Unplanned Russian flight over Baltic Sea prompts jet scramble

Berlin has reported an incident involving a Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea. According to the report, a Russian IL-20 was flying "without a flight plan or contact with civilian air traffic control." Consequently, fighter jets were scrambled.

Russian reconnaissance aircraft entered international airspace over the Baltic Sea without establishing contact with air traffic control.

According to the Luftwaffe report on Saturday, German and Swedish air force interceptor jets, along with NATO air traffic control in the Baltic countries, took off on Friday evening and escorted the Russian IL-20M aircraft.

In mid-June, a Russian SU-24 bomber flew over the Swedish island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, about 220 miles from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Two Swedish fighter jets were dispatched to remove the Russian aircraft from the airspace, as the "Welt" daily portal reminded us.

Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022 led to Finland and Sweden joining NATO in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Except Russia, all countries bordering the Baltic Sea have since become members of the Western military alliance.