Swedish and German aircraft intercept Russian warplane over Baltic Sea

A Russian reconnaissance plane entered international airspace over the Baltic Sea without communicating with air traffic controllers, prompting the German and Swedish air forces to scramble fighter jets for interception.

Source: European Pravda, citing the press service of the German Air Force

Details: German and Swedish warplanes took off to escort the Russian Il-20M aircraft.

The aircraft was in the airspace near the German island of Rügen "without a flight plan or contact with civilian air traffic control".

Alarmstart im Ostseeraum! Zur Luftraumsicherung des #NATO Bündnissgebietes stiegen nacheinander die #QRA aus Laage, Schweden und der @NATO
Mission #VAPB auf und begleiteten einen russischen Seeaufklärer IL-20M. Die Maschine flog ohne Flugplan und Kontakt zur zivilen… pic.twitter.com/iUQlrhC2nH

— Team Luftwaffe (@Team_Luftwaffe) August 10, 2024

Background: 

• Last week, the German Air Force, in conjunction with the Swedish Air Force, scrambled aircraft in response to Russian fighter jets flying near the Latvian border.
• Earlier, it was reported that two US Air Force B-52H strategic bombers had arrived in Romania and would be conducting sorties from the country for the first time.
• In July, Finnish and Swedish pilots intercepted Russian fighter jets over the Baltic Sea.

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