On February 4–11 NATO Air Policing Mission Detachment fighter aircraft were scrambled three times to intercept aircraft of the Russian Federation violating flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On February 7 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one IL-20 flying in international airspace from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad. It had no pre-filed flight plan, the radio transponder was switched off, the crew was maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On February 7 NATO Air Policing fighter aircraft also identified and escorted one IL-78 flying in international airspace from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad. It had no pre-filed flight plan, had the onboard transponder switched on, the crew was maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On February 9 NATO Air Policing fighter jets intercepted one IL-20 flying from Kaliningrad and returning. The aircraft had no flight plan, its onboard transponder was kept off and the crew did not keep the radio communication.
Photo credit: Private Recruit K. Kavolėlis/MoD
