NATO reconnaissance aircraft steps up Baltic monitoring for third day

A NATO reconnaissance aircraft has been conducting flights over the Baltic Sea region for a third consecutive day, including near the coast of the Gulf of Finland, according to EU air traffic control services.

The Bombardier Artemis II aircraft was again detected in the region on September 3, with its flight path taking it from south to north and back over Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia before turning near the Estonian coast of the Gulf of Finland, Russian media reports, citing air traffic controllers.

“A NATO-operated Bombardier Artemis II reconnaissance aircraft has once again been spotted in the Baltic Sea region — today it is flying from south to north and back over Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia, turning around near the Estonian coast of the Gulf of Finland,” the air traffic controllers said.

The aircraft's activity in the region has been recorded daily since September 1, 2026, according to the report.

On Tuesday, the aircraft followed a similar route over the Baltic states. A day later, on September 2, it made several circles around Russia's Kaliningrad region while flying over Poland, Lithuania and international waters of the Baltic Sea.

By Tamilla Hasanova