NATO jets intercept two Russian spy planes over Baltic Sea
Photo: NATO fighter jets intercepted two Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea (x.com/NATO_AIRCOM)
British fighter jets based in Poland intercepted two Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea, according to the NATO Combined Air Operations Center.
"Two Russian aircraft were intercepted in a single sortie by RAF Typhoons deployed on NATO's enhanced Air Policing mission in Poland," the statement reads.
The planes took off from the base in Malbork to intercept and escort Russian planes that had taken off from the Kaliningrad region.
Two aircraft were intercepted in a single sortie by RAF Typhoons deployed on NATO's enhanced Air Policing mission in
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) June 9, 2025
NATO's Air Policing stands as a cornerstone of the Alliance's commitment to maintaining the security and integrity of #NATO airspace pic.twitter.com/bDhIGeAfaM
The interception was confirmed by the UK Ministry of Defense. Fighter jets scrambled from Malbork Air Base in Poland on Thursday to intercept and escort Russian aircraft that had taken off from the Kaliningrad region. Their goal was to track unidentified objects that flew out of Kaliningrad's airspace and did not transmit any signals.
The first aircraft intercepted was an An-30, designated by NATO as CLANK — a Soviet-designed cartographic aircraft equipped with modern photo-reconnaissance technology.
Shortly after, the same fighter pair was redirected to intercept a second plane: the Il-20M, codenamed COOT-A by NATO. This Soviet-era reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft is used for intelligence gathering, communications, and electronic warfare.
Russian aircraft violate NATO airspace
In May, a Russian Su-24 performed dangerous maneuvers near the Polish border. On the orders of NATO command, it was intercepted by fighter jets.
In the same month, a Russian Air Force Su-35 fighter jet violated Estonian airspace near the Juminda Peninsula. NATO scrambled fighter jets.
