NATO fighter jets intercept Russian aircraft over Baltic states three times in a week

NATO fighter jets conducting air patrol missions in the Baltic States carried out three sorties over last week to detect and escort Russian aircraft violating flight rules.

The Ministry of Defence reported that NATO fighter jets conducted a sortie on 10 March to intercept a Russian An-72 military transport aircraft flying in international airspace.

On 12 March, they escorted two Russian Su-27 fighters, two supersonic Tu-22 bombers and one Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft.

Later that same day, NATO planes were again dispatched to identify two Tu-22 bombers and two Su-27 fighters, as well as a passenger Il-18 aircraft.

The Russian aircraft was flying with its radar transponder switched off, without flight plans and often failed to maintain radio contact with the regional area control centre (RFC), the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence added.

In late February, French Rafale fighters intercepted two Russian aircraft off the coast of Latvia. 

Prior to that, Norwegian F-35s intercepted a Russian bomber group in the High North.