On December 23–29 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Missions in the Baltic states were scrambled twice to identify and escort aircraft of the Russian Federation violating international aviation regulations in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On December 23 aircraft of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Detachment were alerted in response to one IL-20 flying in international airspace from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad. The aircraft had no pre-filed flight plan, its onboard transponder was switched on, the crew was maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre. NATO fighter jets also responded to one IL-76 flying through international airspace out of Kaliningrad and back. It had a pre-filed flight plan, the onboard transponder was kept on and radio communication was maintained.
On December 25 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept one AN-26 which was flying in international airspace from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia. It had no pre-filed flight plan, the crew kept the onboard transponder switched off but maintained radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
