NATO Fighters Intercept Russian Tu-22M3 and Su-30/35 Over Baltic Sea on April 20

NATO fighter jets intercepted Russian strategic bombers and fighter aircraft over the Baltic Sea. This incident occurred in the airspace near the Alliance’s eastern flank.

According to Euronews, as reported by «European Pravda», on Monday, April 20, fighter jets from several NATO countries were scrambled. This was in response to the appearance of a Russian air group, which included two Tu-22M3 supersonic bombers and approximately ten Su-30 and Su-35 fighter jets accompanying the strategic aircraft. Aircraft from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark, Romania, and French Rafale jets participated in the operation.

The French military contingent, based in Lithuania as part of NATO’s Baltic air policing mission, reported this incident. France and Romania assumed responsibility for patrolling the Baltic states' airspace on March 31, conducting the mission from the Lithuanian base in Šiauliai. At the same time, Portugal began patrolling from the Ämari base in Estonia. Previously, on April 15, Romanian fighter jets participating in the NATO mission had already intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea.