Baltic Skies on High Alert: German Jets Scramble to Intercept Russian Aircraft
German Air Force Intercepts Russian Planes Over Baltic Sea
The German Air Force intercepted several Russian planes over the Baltic Sea on Friday, responding to a call for action from Russian pilots.
Incident Details
According to the Bundeswehr, German fighter planes took off from Laage (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania) and the Latvian town of Lielvarde when a Russian plane was traveling without a flight plan or transponder.
Escorting Russian Aircraft
In addition, German Eurofighters accompanied a Russian Bear TU-142 submarine hunter and an SU-30 Flanker-H fighter jet over the Baltic Sea after the plane was found.
Increased Military Activity
Such movements had become more frequent recently. According to NATO, 300 Russian military aircraft were intercepted last year alone, many of them over the Baltic Sea.
The day before, the Japanese Air Force intercepted two Russian submarine reconnaissance aircraft. Russia is also currently conducting the “Ocean 2024” exercise, which will involve more than 400 warships and over 90,000 troops by September 16th.