As many as six Russian planes were spotted near Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia
NATO fighter jets were reportedly scrambled after six Russian planes were seen near three Baltic states.
A French crew spotted the supposed threat as Russian jets were seen over the Baltic Sea, near Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.
French military then shared footage of four NATO Rafale B fighters tracking a Su-30SM fighter alongside a Russian Il-20M electronic intelligence aircraft. Analysts have suggested these aircraft may have been equipped with Kh-31P or Kh-31PM anti-radiation missiles, which is typically used to engage radar and air defence systems.
It is reported the four Rafale B fighters were deployed as part of an “enhanced Air Policing Mission”. The operations were carried out from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania, the base where France is heading up NATO’s air policing efforts, The Mirror reported.
During these operations, the French Rafales reportedly used Thales Talios targeting pods.
Although mainly designed for attack missions, these systems possess long-range visual identification capabilities. This allows would be pilots to safely assess potential threats remotely. These operations are part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, which aims to guarantee the integrity of Baltic airspace.
Earlier today (April 17), there were also reports of a Russian drone breaching the airspace of a NATO country during an overnight bombardment targeting Ukraine. Romania’s Defence Ministry said its air defences identified two targets in the border area of Tulcea county during attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, one of which entered its airspace.
The ministry said in a statement: “One of the targets entered the airspace of our country, the radar contact with it being lost 16 km southeast of Chilia Veche over an uninhabited area.
We strongly condemn the actions of the Russian Federation that endanger regional security, constituting a serious violation of the norms of international law.”
A team has been sent to investigate the area following the alert, which began just after midnight local time on Friday and ended at 2.48am. Tulcea is directly across the border from the Ukrainian port of Izmail, which has been a target for Russian attacks, and is bordered by the River Danube
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