Poland Scrambles F-16s to Intercept Russian Spy Plane over 'NATO Lake'

The Polish military identified a Russian aircraft performing a "reconnaissance mission" as it flew over the Baltic Sea on Monday.

Polish Army Operational Command said that two F-16 jets, used throughout eastern Europe during the Russia-Ukriane war, were dispatched to intercept the aircraft, which remained in international waters.

The Russian plane did not enter Polish airspace and there was no further escalation in the exchange.

In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), the Polish Army Operational Command said: "Airspace security is one of our top priorities. Every day, pilots of the Polish Armed Forces are on guard and ready to ensure the protection of the Polish sky.

"On August 12, 2024, the F-16 duty pair intercepted and visually identified an aircraft of the Russian Federation that was flying over the Baltic Sea. Polish fighter jets intercepted an Il-20 aircraft performing a reconnaissance mission in international airspace, without violating Polish territorial waters.

"The protection of Polish airspace is the foundation of our country's security. Thanks to the efficient functioning of the entire air defense system, we can be sure that we are protected from threats from the air."

The Baltic Sea is often called the "NATO lake," as it is encircled by several NATO member states, including Poland, Latvia, Estonia, and most recently, Finland. The sea also borders Russia at St. Petersburg in the northeast.

Kaliningrad, a Russian outpost between Poland and Lithuania, also has a coastline on the Baltic Sea, and remains under close inspection from the surrounding NATO forces, a situation that "often leads to arial encounters", according to the German military.

On August 10, fellow NATO members Sweden and Germany also scrambled jets to deal with a similar situation over the sea. The German air force released pictures of a Soviet-built Il-20M signals intelligence aircraft, which was flying over international waters without a flight plan or contact with civil air traffic control.

Encounters between Russian flights and NATO forces have increased since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Earlier this year, footage shared on Russian Telegram channels showed a Su-30SM fighter jet, known by NATO as the Flanker-H, in a close encounter over the Baltic Sea with suspected EF-18A Hornets of the Spanish air force. Spain, another NATO member, has supplied Ukraine with large amounts of military equipment, thanks to a bilateral agreement signed in May this year.

NATO forces have continued to be careful when dealing with Russian aircraft after several close shaves along the Polish border, one of which killed two Poles in a stray missile strike from the conflict in Ukraine.

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