NATO deploys armed fighter jets to intercept Russian military planes flying over Baltic Sea

Key Points:

• NATO intercepted Russian strategic bombers and fighter jets over the Baltic Sea on Monday, with French Rafale fighters joining jets from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark, and Romania to monitor the Russian flight.
• The Russian mission involved two Tu-22M3 bombers escorted by about 10 SU-30 and SU-35 fighters, flying over neutral Baltic Sea waters for more than four hours, according to the Russian Defense Ministry.
• NATO routinely scrambles fighters to intercept Russian aircraft near its airspace, often due to Russian planes not using transponders, failing to communicate with air traffic controllers, or flying without filing flight plans.
• The Baltic air policing mission has been in place since Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia joined NATO in 2004, with NATO intercepting Russian planes around 300 times annually, mostly near northern European waters and the Kaliningrad enclave.
• Recent Russian maneuvers over the Baltic Sea have included multiple interceptions and alleged sabotage of underwater cables, with NATO jets frequently scrambled to respond to Russian aircraft violating flight rules.