Nato fighter jets were scrambled on Monday to intercept a formation of Russian strategic bombers and fighter aircraft over the Baltic Sea, in a show of force on the alliance's eastern flank. French Rafale fighters, stationed at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania as part of Nato's air-policing mission, were joined by aircraft from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Romania to monitor the Russian formation.
The Russian group included two supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers and approximately 10 Su-30 and Su-35 fighter jets, which alternately escorted the larger aircraft, according to the French detachment. Russia's defence ministry said the flight was scheduled, took place in neutral airspace and lasted over four hours, adding that all flights complied with international rules.
Nato routinely scrambles jets to intercept Russian warplanes that approach or fly near allied airspace, often without using transponders or filing flight plans. The alliance's Baltic air policing mission has been in place since Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia joined Nato in 2004. Even before the war in Ukraine, Nato intercepted Russian planes around 300 times a year, mostly over northern European waters.
Monday's interception was the latest in a series of such incidents. Lithuania's defence ministry said Nato jets were scrambled four times between 13 and 19 April to intercept Russian aircraft that violated flight rules, including turning off transponders and flying without a flight plan.
