NATO fighters escorted three Russian military aircraft over the Baltic last week
NATO fighters intercepted and escorted three Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea last week, Delfi reported, citing the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense.
According to the Ministry, fighters, as part of NATO’s air patrol mission over the Baltic Sea, escorted a Russian Tu-134 military cargo plane and two Su-27 fighters on July 18th.
The Russian planes were flying with disabled transponders, which NATO believes is a threat to civil aviation.
The presence of Russian military aircraft and naval ships near the borders of the Baltic States has become increasingly common over the last two years. Since Russia’s annexation of the Crimea and subsequent role in the conflict in eastern Ukraine, relations between Moscow and the West have been severely strained.
The Baltic States argue that such actions by the Russian military are meant as a show of force.