NATO fighter jets took off three times in one week to escort Russian planes over the Baltic

Last week, NATO fighter jets took off three times to escort Russian planes over the Baltic that were violating flight rules. This was reported by the Lithuanian broadcaster LRT with reference to the country's Ministry of Defense.

On Tuesday (September 30), Allied fighters flew to escort two An-12 transport aircraft moving from mainland Russia to the Kaliningrad region through international airspace.

They had radar transponders on, but no flight plans, maintaining only radio communication with the Regional Flight Control Center (RSVS).

On the same day, an Alliance aircraft flew to identify the An-72 transport aircraft. It flew with its transponder on, without a flight plan and in radio contact with RATCC. However, the four Su-30 and two MiG-31 fighters that took off from Kaliningrad to escort the plane did not have transponders, flight plans, or radio communications on.

In addition, NATO fighter jets escorted one Su-35 and identified a Su-24MR tactical reconnaissance aircraft that was flying without a transponder, flight plan or radio communications on October 1.

The NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States is operated from Lithuania and Estonia and provides for the constant monitoring of the region's airspace.

• On September 19, Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace near Tallinn. In total, they were over Estonia for about 12 minutes.
• On the same day, Russian fighter jets violated the security zone of the Polish Petrobaltic drilling platform in the Baltic Sea. More than a week earlier, two dozen Russian UAVs violated Polish airspace.
• NATO vowed to continue to "respond decisively" to Russian violations of Allied airspace.