Polish fighter jets intercepted Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over Baltic Sea
Polish military aircraft took to the skies to intercept a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft that was flying over the Baltic Sea.
According to Censor.NET, this was reported by the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces.
According to the Polish military, the incident occurred on Friday, March 13. A pair of MiG-29 fighter jets on duty intercepted, visually identified, and escorted the Russian aircraft in international airspace.
The command noted that the Russian Il-20 aircraft was conducting its ninth reconnaissance mission of the year in the vicinity of the region. It was flying without a filed flight plan and with its transponder turned off.
At the same time, the Polish side emphasized that the Russian aircraft did not violate Polish airspace.
Military commanders emphasized that the mission was carried out efficiently and safely thanks to the high readiness of the on-duty forces and the professional work of the pilots.
Previously, NATO fighter jets have also been scrambled on multiple occasions to intercept Russian aircraft in the Baltic region. In particular, in January, Spanish F-18M fighter jets intercepted Russian military aircraft near NATO airspace.
