The Baltic air policing unit of NATO member states based in Lithuania is active in patrolling the borders of the Baltic states and the international airspace above the Baltic Sea.
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defence, in the week from March 21 to 27 fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled ten times to patrol the Baltic airspace border with the Russia and Belarus. They also took off to intercept military aircraft of the Russian Federation in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea that were flying in violation of international aviation flight rules.
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For example, on March 21 NATO fighter aircraft were conducting patrols by the Baltic airspace border with Russia and Belarus. On March 22 NATO air policing unit intercepted one IL-20 flying from and back to Kaliningrad. Its onboard transponder was switched off, the flight had no pre-filed plan and the crew did not keep radio communication with the regional air traffic control centre, according to the ministry’s press release.
Baltic NATO air policing unit active in patrolling and intercepting Russian planes
