On March 24– 30 NATO Air Policing Detachment in the Baltic states was alerted to intercept aircraft of the Russian Federation violating international aviation regulations in international airspace over the Baltic Sea four times.
On March 24 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept one IL-20 flying in international airspace from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad. Its onboard transponder was switched off, the crew had no pre-filed flight plan but kept radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre.
On March 25 NATO fighter jets were scrambled to identify and escort two SU-24MRs flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia via international airspace. Their onboard transponders were switched off, the crews had no pre-filed flight plans and were not maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control.
On March 28 NATO fighter aircraft were alerted to intercept one AN-26 and two SU-30SM flying through international airspace from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia. The AN-26 had its onboard transponder on and maintained radio communication but had not flight-plan, while the SU-30SM had no flight plans, were not maintaining radio communication and their onboard transponders were switched off.
On March 29 NATO Air Policing fighter aircraft intercepted one AN-30 flying via international airspace from the mainland of the Russian Federation to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder on, but without the pre-filed flight plan and not maintaining radio communication.
