On March 18–24 NATO fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled six times to identify and escort military aircraft of the Russian Federation in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On March 18 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one IL-20 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder off, without the flight plan, but kept radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On March 18 NATO Air Policing aircraft intercepted one IL-76 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia without the flight plan, its onboard transponder switched on, keeping radio communication.
On March 19 NATO fighter jets intercepted one IL-76 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder switched on, maintaining radio contact, according to a pre-filed flight plan.
On March 22 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one SU-27 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder off, keeping the radio contact, without the flight plan.
On March 23 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one SU-30 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia with its onboard transponder off, without keeping the radio contact, without the flight plan. NATO aircraft also intercepted one AN-12 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia with its onboard transponder on, keeping radio communication, without the flight plan.
On March 23 NATO air policing fighter jets intercepted one IL-20 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia with its onboard transponder off, maintaining radio communication, without the flight plan.
Related photo, credit: Filip Modrzejewski
