Media: Russian bombers appeared in French Rafale’s targeting view over Baltic Sea

A Russian Aerospace Forces Tu-22M3 bomber carrying an X-22 missile, along with a Su-30SM2 fighter jet, appeared in the targeting view of a French Air Force Rafale aircraft.

The encounter between the aircraft over the Baltic Sea reportedly took place during an interception operation in the first half of April, Caliber.Az reports, citing Military Informant.

Rafale fighters were deployed from a Lithuanian air base where they are stationed as part of a decades-long NATO air-policing effort.

The fighters armed with air-to-air missiles joined jets from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Romania. They all took to the skies to inspect and keep watch on the Russian flight.

The Russian Defence Ministry said the long-range bombers' flight was scheduled and occurred in airspace over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, noting the flight took more than four hours.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov