Polish jets intercept Russian Il-20 over Baltic Sea

Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over international waters of the Baltic Sea, according to Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister, Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz.

The incident was disclosed by the minister on the social media platform, Caliber.Az reports

He stated that the Russian aircraft was flying without a filed flight plan and had its transmitters switched off, raising safety concerns.

Nasze samoloty przechwyciły nad wodami międzynarodowymi na Bałtyku rosyjski samolot rozpoznawczy Ił20. To kolejne agresywne działania Federacji Rosyjskiej i testowanie naszych systemów obrony powietrznej. Loty bez włączonych transponderów mogą stanowić zagrożenie dla innych… pic.twitter.com/yK5Rjisygz

— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) May 13, 2026

“Our aircraft intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane over international waters of the Baltic Sea,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote.

“Flights without transponders switched on can pose a threat to other aircraft. Every provocation of this kind will be met with an immediate response from our pilots,” he said.

Kosiniak-Kamysz described the incident as “another Russian attempt” to test the air defence systems of NATO countries.

At the same time, Poland’s Operational Command of the Armed Forces stressed that the country’s airspace was not breached during the encounter.

By Tamilla Hasanova