On July 31–August 6 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled 7 times to identify and escort aircraft of the Russian Federation flying in violation of flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On July 31 fighter aircraft of the NATO Baltic Air Policing Detachment were scrambled to intercept one TU-154 on its way from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad through international airspace, according to a pre-filed flight plan, with its onboard transponder switched on and maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On August 1 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept one SU-30SM flying through international airspace from Kaliningrad to the mainland of the Russian Federation without a pre-filed flight plan, with its onboard transponder switched on and maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On August 4 NATO fighter jets intercepted one TU-154 and two SU-27. The TU-154 took off from mainland Russia and was heading for Kaliningrad in international airspace, without a pre-filed flight plan, with its onboard transponder on, and maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre. The two SU-27s were flying from and back to Kaliningrad via international airspace, without the flight plan, not using the onboard transponders and not maintaining the radio communication.
On August 4 NATO Air Policing fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept two SU-27 flying in international airspace from Kaliningrad and back without a pre-filed flight plan, not using the onboard transponders and not maintaining radio communitarian with the regional air traffic control centre.
On August 4 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept one TU-134 and two SU-34. The TU-134 was on its way from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad via international airspace, without a pre-filed flight plan but using its onboard transponder and maintaining radio communication. The SU-34 took off from mainland Russia, flew into international airspace and returned, without a pre-filed flight plan, not using the onboard transponders, not maintaining radio communication.
On August 5 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted two SU-27 flying from and back to Kaliningrad in international airspace, without the flight plan, not using the onboard transponders, not maintaining radio communication.
On August 5 NATO fighter jets were scrambled to intercept one TU-134 flying in international airspace from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad. It had no prefilled flight plan, but the onboard transponder was no and the crew maintained radio communication.
Photo credit: MoD/ K.Kavolėlis