British and German fighter planes were scrambled to intercept three Russian military planes flying “blind” over the Baltic Sea.
Two Sukhoi Su-27 fighters and one “spy plane” Ilyushin Il-20 were identified flying within international airspace over the Baltic Sea.
Their transponders were not activated.
The Luftwaffe said Eurofighters from Germany and Britain were deployed.
The Luftwaffe announced on Wednesday:
“Reconnaissance flights intercepted. German and British Eurofighters were alerted to identify three military aircraft.
“The two SU-27 Flankers and a IL-20 from Russia were flying again without transponder signals in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.”
As a member of NATO, Germany watches the airspace over the Baltic states.
Recently, Germany delegated responsibility for NATO’s Baltic air policing mission to the UK.
This is because Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia lack their own fighter jets, so NATO allies co-operate to protect their airspace.
