NATO fighters intercepted Russian aircraft over the Baltic five times last week
According to Postimees, NATO fighters had to accompany Russian military aircraft five times last week. The Russian planes were flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
On the 26th of April, NATO fighters stationed in the Lithuanian city of Šiauliai were alerted to a Su-27 plane travelling from the Kaliningrad region of Russia. It is alleged that the plane was flying without submitting a flight plan, had its transponder switched off and did not maintain connection with the Mission Control Center.
On the 27th of April, NATO fighters accompanied an IL-38 aircraft that was also travelling from the Russian region of Kaliningrad. This plane is designed to counteract submarines and maritime surveillance. The aircraft was flying according to a submitted flight plan and communicated with the control centers, but its transponder was turned off.
On the 28th of April, the air police found a IL-18 freighter flying from the Kaliningrad region. The aircraft was flying without a submitted flight plan, its transponder was turned off and it did not communicate with the Mission Control Center. NATO fighters then had to escort a Russian IL-38 plane flying from Kaliningrad as its transponder was also turned off.
Lastly, on the 29th of April, fighter jets accompanied a Russian IL-20 from Kaliningrad to the mainland. Even though the aircraft was flying according to the submitted flight plan and communicated with the Mission Control Center, it had a disabled transponder.