Twice in a week, Russian aircraft were intercepted by NATO fighter jets. The Russian planes attempted to fly in international airspace without a flight plan.
Russian aircraft were spotted over the Baltic Sea. The local media cited the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense in reporting this.
Russian planes violated flight rules
On November 4, a Russian Il-78 refueling plane was involved in an accident:
without a flight plan, but with radio contact to the local air traffic control center and use of an onboard transponder, flew from Kaliningrad to the Russian mainland.
The second one took off the following day, on November 5.
According to the source, NATO fighter jets were deployed to intercept an Il-76 military aircraft on Friday, November 5, which was not using an onboard transponder or a preliminary flight plan.
It is also known that, just like the last time, the Russian plane kept in radio contact with the local traffic control tower.
These Russian flights were the reason NATO deployed its fighter aircraft. It is well known that Lithuanian and Estonian air facilities serve as the Alliance’s operational hubs for air defense in the Baltic region.
Russian aircraft violated the airspace over the Baltic Sea six times in the first few days of September. NATO fighter jets stationed in Lithuania were ordered to take off every time for that reason.
Spain made the decision to send 14 of its fighter jets to Bulgaria and Romania in late October. This move was done to reinforce NATO’s eastern flank.
Russian warplanes were reportedly being followed by NATO fighter jets in October, according to the Italian Air Force.
