Lyce · Hybrid Watch

hw_c419a1d96a1b99e7

NATO intercepts two Russian Su-30 aircraft near the Baltic states.

View this signal on the map

NATO Baltic Air Policing fighter jets were scrambled to identify and escort two Russian Su-30 aircraft flying from Kaliningrad and back through international airspace. The aircraft did not enter NATO airspace, so this should not be marked as a formal airspace violation. However, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence recorded it as part of a week in which NATO aircraft were alerted seven times because of international flight-regulation violations. The two Su-30s had their onboard transponders switched off. Their crews had not filed flight plans and were not maintaining radio communication with regional air-traffic control. This makes the episode relevant as a Russian air-probing incident rather than a routine flight. The geography is important because Kaliningrad sits between NATO members Poland and Lithuania and is central to Russian pressure in the Baltic region.

Occurrence
Publication
First observed
Review status
Not assessed
Countries
Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia
Updated

Attribution

Official

Facts

No facts

Sources

  1. Role
    Discovery lead
    Publication

    NATO Baltic Air Policing fighter jets were scrambled to identify and escort two Russian Su-30 aircraft flying from Kaliningrad and back through international airspace. The aircraft did not enter NATO airspace, so this should not be marked as a formal airspace violation. However, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence recorded it as part of a week in which NATO aircraft were alerted seven times because of international flight-regulation violations. The two Su-30s had their onboard transponders switched off. Their crews had not filed flight plans and were not maintaining radio communication with regional air-traffic control. This makes the episode relevant as a Russian air-probing incident rather than a routine flight. The geography is important because Kaliningrad sits between NATO members Poland and Lithuania and is central to Russian pressure in the Baltic region.