Sweden competes for fighter jets to intercept Russian spy planes in the Baltic Sea

Two Swedish fighters at NATO Command were on Thursday Baltic Sea Swedish armed forces said in order to accompany Russian reconnaissance aircraft to approach Polish airspace, Swedish armed forces said the third time Russian aircraft were intercepted in the area in at least about a week.

“The aircraft is close to Polish airspace, so we ascend to indicate existence, visually identify and escort it out of the area,” Swedish Air Force spokeswoman Therese Akerstett told AFP.

The Swedish jet under NATO command is located in Marburg, Poland, and is identified as a Russian IL-20 COOT reconnaissance aircraft. Swedish officials said the mission was carried out in international airspace.

The armed forces posted images of the operation on social media.

Sweden joined NATO in March 2024.

The incident took place a few days after Britain said it had sent two fighter jets to intercept aboard the Baltic fighter jets. The British Ministry of Defense said in a statement that the typhoon fighter was disrupted and intercepted Russian IL-20 COOT reconnaissance aircraft last Tuesday, and two days later the jets intercepted an unknown aircraft and left Kalinginger Airlines.

“As Russia’s aggressiveness grows and security threats grow, we are stepping up our allies, blocking our opponents and protecting our national security,” Luke Pollard, the Minister of the Armed Forces, said in a statement.

Tensions in the Baltic Sea have intensified since Russia’s full scale Invasion of Ukraine In 2022.