Over the past week, NATO fighters have been scrambled seven times to identify and escort Russian aircraft that violated flight rules. This was reported on Monday by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense.
On June 1, air police units escorted two Russian Su-30 fighter jets, and on June 3, another two.
On June 2, NATO aircraft were scrambled to escort a Su-35 fighter jet. On the same day, a Russian Su-24 attack aircraft, a Su-34 bomber, an An-30 reconnaissance aircraft, as well as Il-76 and An-12 transport planes were identified.
On June 4, NATO fighters were launched to identify suspected Su-34 and Su-30SM fighters, but the aircraft could not be identified. On the same day, air police units escorted an Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
On June 5, NATO fighters identified a Tu-214PU special mission aircraft, an Il-78 tanker aircraft, as well as An-72 and Il-76 transport planes.
Most flights took place in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, between mainland Russia and the Kaliningrad exclave.
Most aircraft were flying with their transponders turned off, and, except for the Tu-214PU, none of them provided a flight plan.
Radio communication with the regional air traffic control center was maintained by all transport aircraft, the Tu-214PU, and the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
NATO's mission to secure the airspace of the Baltic states is carried out from air bases in Lithuania and Estonia.
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