Lyce · Hybrid Watch

hw_2e57febd651af096

NATO fighters intercept Russian Su-24 operating from Kaliningrad without transponder, flight plan or radio contact.

On 26 September 2026, NATO Baltic Air Policing fighters intercepted a Russian Su-24 tactical aircraft flying from Kaliningrad Oblast into international airspace before returning to the exclave. The aircraft operated without a pre-filed flight plan and with its radar transponder switched off, while the crew did not maintain radio communication with regional air-traffic control. NATO aircraft therefore scrambled to identify and monitor the flight. Lithuanian reporting does not indicate that the Su-24 entered Lithuanian or other NATO sovereign airspace, nor does it report weapons employment or an unsafe encounter with civilian aircraft.

Occurrence
2026-09-26
Publication
2026-09-26
First observed
2026-10-05T14:29:15.028Z
Review status
Not assessed
Countries
LT, PL
Updated
2026-10-05T16:30:16.433Z

Attribution

Official

Facts

No facts

Sources

  1. Role
    discovery_lead
    Date
    2026-09-26T00:02:10Z

    On 26 September 2026, NATO Baltic Air Policing fighters intercepted a Russian Su-24 tactical aircraft flying from Kaliningrad Oblast into international airspace before returning to the exclave. The aircraft operated without a pre-filed flight plan and with its radar transponder switched off, while the crew did not maintain radio communication with regional air-traffic control. NATO aircraft therefore scrambled to identify and monitor the flight. Lithuanian reporting does not indicate that the Su-24 entered Lithuanian or other NATO sovereign airspace, nor does it report weapons employment or an unsafe encounter with civilian aircraft.