On July 20–26, the NATO Baltic Air Policing Detachment was alerted in response to international flight regulation violations four times.
On July 21 NATO fighter aircraft safeguarding the Baltic airspace were scrambled in response to two TU-22M and two SU-35S flying through international airspace from mainland Russia and back. Their onboard transponders were switched off, no flight plans had been pre-filed, the crews were not maintaining communication with the regional air traffic control centre. On the same scramble, one SU-30SM was intercepted flying through international airspace from Kaliningrad and back. Its onboard transponder was off, the crew had no flight plan and were not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control.
On July 21 NATO fighter jets intercepted two TU-22M and two SU-35S flying from mainland Russia and back through international airspace. Their onboard transponders were switched off, the crews had no flight plans and were not maintaining radio communication.
On July 23 NATO fighter aircraft were dispatched in response to one IL-20M detected flying between mainland Russia and Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder switched off, no flight plan, though maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control.
On July 25 NATO fighter jets intercepted one IL-20M on the way from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia. Its onboard transponder was switched off, the crew had no pre-filed flight plan but were maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
