Lyce · Hybrid Watch

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NATO fighters identify Russian Su-35 operating from Kaliningrad without transponder, flight plan or ATC contact.

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On 18 September 2026, NATO air-defence fighters were scrambled to identify a Russian Su-35 fighter aircraft operating over the Baltic Sea. The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence states that the aircraft flew from Kaliningrad Oblast into international airspace and subsequently returned to Kaliningrad, making this a distinct sortie from the separate Russian formation intercepted later the same day. The Su-35 operated without an active radar transponder, without a filed flight plan and without maintaining radio contact with the regional air-traffic-control centre. Baltic Monitor separately records the 18 September Su-35 interception in its regional military digest, distinguishing it from the MiG-31/Su-35/Tu-134 formation reported later that day.

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

Attribution

Official

Facts

No facts

Sources

  1. Role
    Discovery lead
    Publication

    On 18 September 2026, NATO air-defence fighters were scrambled to identify a Russian Su-35 fighter aircraft operating over the Baltic Sea. The Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence states that the aircraft flew from Kaliningrad Oblast into international airspace and subsequently returned to Kaliningrad, making this a distinct sortie from the separate Russian formation intercepted later the same day. The Su-35 operated without an active radar transponder, without a filed flight plan and without maintaining radio contact with the regional air-traffic-control centre. Baltic Monitor separately records the 18 September Su-35 interception in its regional military digest, distinguishing it from the MiG-31/Su-35/Tu-134 formation reported later that day.