On March 20–26 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Missions in the Baltic states were scrambled six times to identify and escort aircraft of the Russian Federation flying in violation of flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On March 20 fighter aircraft of the NATO Air Policing Detachment were scrambled to intercept one TU-134 flying from Kaliningrad Oblast to the mainland of the Russian Federation through international airspace without a pre-filed flight plan, its onboard transponder switched on, and maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On March 21 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept two aircraft of the Russian Federation flying from Kaliningrad that were not maintaining radio communication, had no flight plans and their onboard transponder were not on. The first of the two evaded interception, the second was identified as SU-30SM.
On March 21 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept one SU-30SM conducting a flight in international airspace from and back to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder switched off, without a pre-filed flight plan and not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
While on the same scramble, NATO fighter jets also intercepted one IL-76 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad. It has the onboard transponder on and was maintaining radio communication but without the flight plan.
On March 22 NATO Baltic Air Policing fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept two SU-27s flying in international airspace from and back to Kaliningrad. The aircraft had no flight plans, their onboard transponders were off and the crews were not keeping radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On March 25 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one IL-76 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad via international airspace, it had no flight plan, the aircraft’s onboard transponder was on and the crew was maintain radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On March 26 NATO fighter jets were scrambled to intercept one IL-20 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad in international airspace, without the flight pan, onboard transponder off, the crew was maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
While conducting the same alert scramble the fighter aircraft also intercepted two SU-27s flying out of and back to Kaliningrad, they had no flight plans, were not maintaining radio contact and their onboard transponders were off.
