Air Force escorts Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea - no contact with air traffic controllers
A Russian reconnaissance aircraft flew into international airspace over the Baltic Sea without contacting air traffic control. German and Swedish air force planes, as well as NATO air policing in the Baltics, took off on Friday evening and escorted the Russian IL-20M aircraft, the air force announced on Saturday. The seaplane was traveling in the airspace off the island of Rügen "without a flight plan and contact with civil air traffic control".
Reports of non-communicating Russian military aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea have been nearly weekly in recent times, a spokesman for the air force said. However, this is not followed up in most cases if they do not behave suspiciously or quickly return to Russian airspace.
In mid-June, a Russian SU-24 bomber flew over the Swedish Baltic Sea island of Gotland, which is about 350 kilometers from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Two Swedish fighter jets were deployed to remove the Russian aircraft from the airspace.
Russia's attack on Ukraine in February 2022 led to Finland and Sweden joining NATO in 2023 and 2024. With the exception of Russia, all Baltic Sea countries are now members of the Western military alliance.
The absence of communication with air traffic control is a common issue with Russian military aircraft in the Baltic Sea, raising concerns. Air traffic control protocols are crucial for ensuring the safety of all aircraft in international airspace.
