NATO jets scrambled multiple times over Baltic region in one week
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NATO fighter jets were scrambled three times between Aug. 31 and Sept. 6 in response to Russian military aircraft operating near the Baltic states, according to data from Lithuania's Defense Ministry.
On Aug. 31, NATO jets identified a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft flying through international airspace from mainland Russia toward the Kaliningrad region without its transponder switched on or a filed flight plan, though the crew maintained radio contact with air traffic controllers.
A day later, NATO fighters were dispatched to identify and intercept an object that entered Estonian airspace from Russia before conducting patrols along the Estonian-Russian border.
On Sept. 5, 12 NATO air-policing fighter jets were deployed to identify another Russian Il-20 traveling toward Kaliningrad, which was also flying without an active transponder or flight plan.
The incidents come amid heightened tensions in the region, as the Baltic governments have accused Russia of cyberattacks, sabotage, attempts to influence public opinion, and aerial incursions.
Officials in Estonia and Latvia stated on Aug. 27 that they remained vigilant but had not changed their overall assessments of the threat posed by Russia, with Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs saying the risk of a direct military invasion remained low.
