Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea about 30 kilometers from Poland’s coast, the latest in a series of similar encounters involving Russian military planes. The Il-20 jet was intercepted north of Łeba, a coastal town in northern Poland, and did not violate Polish airspace, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said. “Russia once again tested our deterrence and air defense systems,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X. The interception took place before noon over international waters in the Baltic Sea. The Il-20 is a military reconnaissance aircraft used to gather intelligence on radar, communications and air defense systems. A growing pattern over the Baltic Russian military aircraft have repeatedly approached Poland’s Baltic coast in recent months. In mid-July, Polish jets intercepted Russian aircraft on three consecutive days, including Il-20 reconnaissance planes and Su-30 fighter jets. Further Il-20 interceptions followed at the end of July and on consecutive days in early August. None of the aircraft entered Polish airspace. Such encounters have become increasingly common since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, with Russian military aircraft frequently flying close to NATO airspace without filing flight plans or switching their transponders on. The flights regularly prompt Polish and allied fighter jets to scramble to identify and monitor the Russian aircraft. Russian military aviation activity in the region is also monitored through NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, under which allied aircraft patrol the airspace over the Baltic states. Russian missile incursion Poland is on heightened alert for potential airspace breaches after a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crashed in eastern Poland during a large-scale attack on Ukraine in late July. The missile, which Polish officials said was carrying a “significant amount” of explosive material, exploded in a field near Tarnawa-Kolonia in eastern Poland, around 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian border, leaving a crater several meters wide.
This was the latest in a series of similar encounters involving Russian military planes. (x.com/KosiniakKamysz)
