On March 26–April 2 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Missions in the Baltic states were scrambled three times to identify and escort aircraft of the Russian Federation flying in violation of flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On March 28 fighter aircraft of the NATO Air Policing Detachment were scrambled to intercept one IL-20, flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia without a pre-filed flight plan and not using its onboard transponder, though maintaining radio contact with the regional air traffic control centre.
On April 1 NATO fighter aircraft were scrambled to intercept and escort one IL-78 flying through international airspace from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia without having pre-filed a flight plan, maintaining the radio communication, the onboard transponder was switched on.
On April 2 NATO Air Policing fighter jets were scrambled to intercept one IL-76 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad via international airspace without the flight plan, keeping radio communication with the regional air traffic control entre but without using the onboard transponder.
Photo credit: MoD / A. Pliadis
