Polish fighter jets intercept russian reconnaissance plane over Baltic Sea

Polish warplanes intercepted a russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday

The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces has announced this, Reuters reports.

According to the military, the Il-20 was conducting a reconnaissance flight in international airspace without filing a flight plan and with the transponder, a device that identifies the aircraft for controllers and other pilots, turned off. It did not violate Polish airspace.

The spokesman for the operational command, Jacek Goryszewski, said in a comment to TVN24 that the incident demonstrates Warsaw’s constant readiness to respond to potential threats.

“We are closely monitoring the situation to prevent violations of our skies,” he said.

On the evening of October 23, a russian Su-30 fighter jet and an Il-78 refueling plane intruded into Lithuanian airspace and stayed there for 18 seconds. The country’s Foreign Ministry expressed a strong protest to russia and demanded an explanation.

NATO says it will shoot down russian planes that violate the air borders of member states and pose a threat to security.