NATO jets scrambled from Šiauliai twice Tuesday over Russian airplanes

The Alliance’s fighter-jets identified Russian transport airplanes An-72 and Il-76, the Defence Ministry’s official Asta Galdikaitė told BNS on Wednesday.

“On June 2, A-Scramble from Šiauliai was called twice,” she said.

In Galdikaitė’s words, the An-72 airplane was flying from mainland Russia to the country’s Kaliningrad region without an agreed flight plan, did not maintain contact with the flight control centre but had its automatic transponder switched on.

The Il-76 was also en route from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad without a plan, no contact and the transponder switched on.

In Lithuania, the NATO air-policing mission is performed by Norway and Italy, while British aviators and jets are stationed in Estonia and Belgian in Poland.

The fighter-jets performed five scrambles last week.