Russian bombers with hypersonic missiles buzz the Baltic coast
Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans reported that Russian Tu-22 bombers with hypersonic missiles flew over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday.
1:49 PM EST, December 18, 2024
According to Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans, on platform X on Wednesday, two Russian Tu-22 bombers equipped with hypersonic missiles flew over the Baltic Sea near Sweden's Gotland on Tuesday.
"Maintaining security requires unwavering readiness," he emphasized in the post.
Russian bombers over the Baltic. This is not the first such incident
On Tuesday, the Swedish armed forces identified two Tu-22 bombers, escorted by two Su-27 fighter jets. In response, two Jas Gripen fighters were scrambled.
Earlier, in the Gulf of Finland, the Russian aircraft were intercepted by Finnish F-18 planes and subsequently tracked by a Dutch F-35 fighter on a NATO Air Policing mission.
According to Swedish military expert Joergen Elfving, Russia might have intended to demonstrate that the Baltic is not an internal NATO sea and to test the reaction of Sweden and its allies. The Russian aircraft eventually turned back without violating Swedish airspace.
