Poland intercepts Russian Il-20 spy plane for the third time this week
Photo: Russian Il-20 was intercepted over the Baltic Sea (x.com/DowOperSZ)
Poland scrambled its MiG-29 fighter jets to intercept a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft. This is the third such incident this week, according to the operational command of the Polish armed forces.
The Polish fighters were launched on the morning of October 31 after the Il-20 was detected over the Baltic Sea.
"The Russian aircraft again flew without a filed flight plan and with its transponder off, posing a potential threat to flight safety in the region. Polish pilots intercepted and identified the foreign aircraft, which was escorted according to NATO procedures," the military said.
They noted that Poland's airspace was not violated.
"This is already the third similar situation this week, confirming increased activity of Russian aviation in the Baltic Sea area," the operational command added.
Il-20 flew over the Barents Sea
Last week, the Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane was spotted over the Barents Sea.
On October 21, around 11:18 a.m., residents of Alta, Norway, heard two explosions, causing buildings and windows to shake. The Norwegian Air Force confirmed that two F-35 fighters were flying over the city at the time, breaking the sound barrier.
During the flight, the Norwegian F-35s identified the Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace north of Finnmark, Norway’s northernmost region.
The Air Force command emphasized that the operation was conducted routinely and without any drama.
