Latest news with #NATOAirCommand
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Yahoo
NATO fighter jets intercept Russia spy plane over Baltic Sea
Two Swedish fighter jets under NATO command were scrambled Thursday over the Baltic Sea to escort away a Russian reconnaissance plane that was approaching Polish airspace, Sweden's armed forces said, marking at least the third time in about a week that Russian aircraft had been intercepted in the region. "The plane was close to Polish airspace so we went up to signal our presence, make a visual identification and escort it out of the area," Swedish air force spokeswoman Therese Akerstedt told AFP. The Swedish jets, based in Malbork, Poland under NATO command, identified the aircraft as a Russian IL-20 Coot reconnaissance plane. The mission took place in international airspace, Swedish officials said. NATO Air Command released images of the operation on social media. Sweden joined NATO in March 2024. The incident unfolded just days after Britain said it had dispatched two of its fighter jets to intercept Russian warplanes over the Baltic Sea. Britain's defense ministry said in a statement that Typhoon fighters were scrambled to intercept a Russian IL-20 Coot reconnaissance plane last Tuesday, and two days later, the jets intercepted an unknown aircraft leaving Kaliningrad air space. "With Russian aggression growing and security threats on the rise, we are stepping up to reassure our Allies, deter adversaries and protect our national security," Minister for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard said in a statement. Tensions over the Baltic Sea have heightened since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sneak peek: The Detective's Wife Vatican announces Pope Francis' funeral details as his burial requests are revealed St. Louis woman says family decimated by cancer after living near toxic creek for decades
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Swedish fighter jets on NATO patrol in Poland scramble for first time due to Russian aircraft
Swedish Gripen fighter jets, which began patrolling NATO airspace from Poland in April, have been scrambled for the first time due to the presence of a Russian military aircraft. Source: NATO Air Command on X (Twitter), as reported by European Pravda Details: The Swedish Gripens, deployed for NATO airspace patrol from Poland and based in Malbork near Gdańsk, carried out their first flight. Quote: "For the first time under NATO's enhanced Air Policing, Swedish Gripen scramble in response to Russian aircraft close to NATO airspace." Details: NATO Air Command also added that the work of the Swedish pilots, who are on duty alongside British forces, demonstrates "seamless integration". Background: In April, Swedish fighter jets began patrolling NATO airspace from Poland for the first time since Sweden joined the Alliance. On the morning of 24 April, Poland scrambled its air force in response to a Russian missile attack on Ukraine, which has become standard procedure in such situations. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
