NATO fighter jet scrambles increase 250% as Russia tests border with military planes, Alliance says
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NATO fighter jets were scrambled over twice as many times in July 2026 as they were during the same period last year, the NATO Allied Joint Force Command in Eastern and Central Europe reported on Aug. 5.
The report follows an uptick in unregistered Russian military flights near NATO's eastern border.
"Compare July 25 with July 26 and the picture is impossible to ignore: Alpha Scrambles along NATO'sEastern Flank increased by more than 250%," the Alliance said.
"The reason? Russian military aircraft repeatedly flew close to NATO airspace without a flight plan and transponder signal, leaving our fighters to launch, intercept, and identify them."
NATO countries regularly dispatch fighter jets in response to suspicious Russian military activity.
The latest report comes a week after Poland's Air Force launched fighter jets on July 31 to intercept a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea without a flight plan. No violation of Poland's airplace occurred during the incident, authorities said.
The Russian Ilyushin Il-20, derived from the Soviet-era Il-18 transport plane, is used for electronic surveillance and reconnaissance operations. The aircraft is equipped with radar and signal intelligence systems designed to gather information on military infrastructure and communications networks.
Poland has described these incidents as "provocations" and acts of aggression meant to test the country's air defenses.
Multiple nations bordering the Baltic Sea have reported similar encounters this summer.
"Every scramble proves that we are alert," the Alliance said on Aug. 5. "Every interception proves that NATO airspace is protected."
