Poland Intercepts Russian Spy Aircraft Over Baltic Sea Amid Rising Tensions

On Wednesday, Poland’s armed forces announced that two of its fighter jets had intercepted and escorted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea the previous day.

According to the Polish operational command, the Russian Il-20 surveillance plane was flying in international airspace without a filed flight plan and had its transponder switched off, making it undetectable to civilian radar.

“The aircraft did not enter Polish airspace,” the command stated on social media.

Additionally, they noted that two Polish MiG-29 fighter jets visually identified and escorted the Russian aircraft out of the vicinity.

Jacek Goryszewski, a spokesperson for the operational command, informed Polish media, “Our pilots were prepared to take additional measures if the Russian pilots engaged in actions we would consider undesirable, such as breaching our airspace or executing other hazardous maneuvers.”

The Russian Defense Ministry has yet to respond to inquiries regarding the Il-20’s flight or the Polish interception.

This incident occurs amidst heightened alert levels along NATO’s eastern flank, where multiple member states have reported an increase in Russian air activity near their borders.

In September, three Russian military jets entered Estonia’s airspace for approximately 12 minutes, and Poland reported over 20 Russian drones entering its territory. The Kremlin has denied these incursions.

Poland remains a strong supporter of Ukraine and serves as a crucial transit hub for Western military supplies to the beleaguered nation since the onset of the Russian invasion in 2022.