On February 18 – 24 NATO fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled three times to identify and escort military aircraft of the Russian Federation in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On February 18 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one AN-26 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia with its onboard transponder off, according to a flight plan, maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On February 20 NATO air policing fighters intercepted one IL-78 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia without the flight plan, maintaining radio communication, its onboard transponder on.
On February 22 NATO fighter jets intercepted one SU-30SM on its way from Kaliningrad, with its onboard transponder off, without maintaining radio communication, without the flight plan.
Related photo, credit: Filip Modrzejewski
