UK and German fighter jets intercepted two Russian fighter jets and a Russian spy aircraft on Monday over waters in the Gulf of Finland, in the Baltic Sea and close to Atlantic Alliance airspace.
According to the Royal Air Force (RAF), the British Air Force, one of the Russian aircraft has been identified as a spy plane coming from mainland Russia and heading for the exclave of Kaliningrad, bordering Poland and Lithuania.
British and German fighter jets escorted the Russian aircraft in the opposite direction to the NATO air border until the Swedish Air Force took over, according to Sky News.
However, the RAF stressed that this was a »routine interception» as »Russian military aircraft are often seen flying over the Baltic Sea». »Our commitment to the collective defense of NATO airspace remains steadfast,» an RAF pilot said in a statement.
Russian authorities last week reported up to two interception operations of German and Norwegian aircraft in the vicinity of Russian airspace and escorting them in the opposite direction.
Source: (EUROPA PRESS)
