British typhoons intercept Russian planes near NATO skies
British Typhoon fighters intercepted Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea, near NATO airspace. The incidents occurred on Tuesday and Thursday.
The British Ministry of Defense reported two incidents involving Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea. On Tuesday, British Typhoon fighters were dispatched to intercept a Russian Ił-20M reconnaissance plane. Two days later, on Thursday, British fighters responded to the presence of an unidentified aircraft leaving the airspace of Kaliningrad.
Is Putin "testing" NATO? Russian fighters intercepted
The Under-Secretary of State for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, emphasized the importance of these actions in light of growing aggression from Russia. "With Russian aggression growing and security threats on the rise, we are stepping up to reassure our allies, deter adversaries and protect our national security through our plan for change," Pollard stated, as quoted by Reuters.
Pollard also noted that this mission demonstrates the United Kingdom's ability to cooperate with NATO's new member, Sweden, and to defend the alliance's airspace at any location and time. "This mission shows our ability to operate side by side with Nato’s newest member, Sweden, and to defend the alliance’s airspace wherever and whenever needed, keeping us safe at home and strong abroad," he stated in a press release.
So far, the Russian side has not commented on these two incidents.
