On December 26, 2022 – January 2, 2023, fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled twice to intercept military aircraft of the Russian Federation in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea flying in violation of international aviation flight rules.
On December 27 NATO fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled to intercept one IL-20, flying in international airspace from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad, and two SU-27 that flew into international airspace from Kaliningrad and then returned. Their onboard transponders was off, the crew had no pre-field flight plans, the IL-20 crew was keeping radio contact but the SU-27s were not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On December 28 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept two SU-30s flying from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad via international airspace with their onboard transponders off, without the flight plan, though maintaining radio communication with the Regional air traffic control centre.
