German jets intercept Russian spy plane over Baltic Sea near Poland

On the morning of June 27, German Air Force fighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft flying near Poland’s northern borders over the Baltic Sea.

NATO radar systems detected the Russian plane at 9:02 a.m. (GMT+2). The Il-20M had taken off from Kaliningrad and was operating in international airspace with its transponders switched off and without establishing any communication, raising concerns among NATO forces, Caliber.Az reports via German media.

In response, two German Eurofighter jets scrambled from the Laarbruch airbase at 9:32 a.m. They made visual contact with the Russian aircraft approximately 100 kilometers off the German coast. Initial reports indicate that the Il-20M continued westward but altered its course near the island of Usedom, turning north roughly 40 kilometers from the island.

Crucially, the Russian plane did not enter German airspace during the incident. This interception is part of a broader pattern, noting that NATO fighters have been deployed nine times so far this year in reaction to Russian aircraft activity in the region.

By Naila Huseynova