NATO jets alerted 10 times by Russian planes near Baltic airspace

No violations of Lithuania’s airspace were recorded, Lithuania’s Ministry of National Defence said on Monday.

On June 5, NATO fighter jets took off three times to intercept and escort two Il-20 electronic reconnaissance aircraft of the Russian Federation which were flying without pre-filing their flight plans, with their onboard transponders switched off and were not maintaining radio communication with air traffic control centres.

On June 16, NATO fighter jets were scrambled three times. The following aircraft were intercepted and escorted: an Il-20 electronic reconnaissance aircraft (flying without a pre-filed flight plan and without using its onboard transponder but maintaining radio communication), an Il-22 airborne command and control post aircraft (flying without a pre-filed flight plan, but using its onboard transponder and maintaining radio communication), an A-50 early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) (flying without a pre-filed flight plan, but using its onboard transponder and maintaining radio communication), an An-26 transport aircraft (flying without a pre-filed flight plan and without using its onboard transponder but maintaining radio communication), and two MiG-31 fighter jets (flying without a pre-filed flight plans, without using their onboard transponders and not maintaining radio communication).

On June 17, fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Baltic air policing mission were scrambles three times to intercept and escort the following military aircraft: an Il-22 airborne command and control post aircraft (flying according to a pre-filed flight plan with its onboard transponder on and maintaining radio communication), two MiG-31 fighter jets (flying without a pre-filed flight plans, without using their onboard transponders and not maintaining radio communication), two Tu-22M strategic bombers (flying without pre-filing a flight plan, with their onboard transponders switched off and not maintaining radio communication), an A-50 early warning and control aircraft (AEW&C) (flying according to a pre-filed flight plan, using its onboard transponder and maintaining radio communication), and an An-26 transport aircraft (flying according to a pre-filed flight plan, without using its onboard transponder but maintaining radio communication).

On June 18, NATO fighter jets scrambled once, an Il-20 electronic reconnaissance aircraft (flying in accordance to a pre-filed flight plan, not using its onboard transponder but maintaining radio communication) was identified and escorted as a result.

NATO officials say Russian planes flying with their transponders switched off pose threat to civil aviation.

In Lithuania, the NATO air-policing mission is carried out by Norway and Italy, while British jets guard the Baltic skies from Estonia and Belgian patrol it from Poland.