UK, German Air Force Escort 3 Russian Military Aircraft Over Baltic Sea
/ Go to the mediabankSukhoi Su-27 jet fighters fly
/ Go to the mediabankInternationalIndiaAfricaMOSCOW (Sputnik) – The air forces of the United Kingdom and Germany have escorted three Russian military planes transiting over the Baltic Sea, the UK air force said on Monday. “Typhoon fighter jets from the Royal Air Force and German Air Force have conducted a joint mission to intercept three Russian aircraft flying over the Gulf of Finland and Baltic Sea,” the statement said. One of the Russian aircraft was identified to be an IL-20 (Coot-A) intelligence aircraft transiting from mainland Russia to the Kaliningrad enclave, which was later met by two Kaliningrad-based SU-27 (Flanker-B) fighter jets to escort the intelligence plane south through the north-west area of the Estonian flight information region. The IL-20 intelligence aircraft “was flying in a safe and professional manner,” the UK air force said, adding that the UK and German air forces escorted the Russian aircraft “through the Estonian flight information region before handing over to Saab Gripen fighters of the Swedish Air Force.”
The Russian Defense Ministry repeatedly stated that Russia's aircraft carry out flights in strict accordance with the international rules for using airspace above neutral waters without crossing air lines and dangerously approaching foreign aircraft.
Russia’s Special Operation in UkraineBritish Surveillance Aircraft ‘Nearly’ Shot Down by Russia Last Year – Reports10 April, 00:21 GMTIn March, German and UK air forces were reported to jointly patrol the airspace over their NATO allies Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. On March 17, one Typhoon fighter from the British air force and one from the German air force intercepted a Russian military Tu-134 passenger jet (Crusty), escorted by two Sukhoi Su-27 (Flanker) fighter jets, and an An-12 (Cub) military transport aircraft. The interception took place close to the Estonian airspace and was a part of Joint NATO Air Policing of the British and German air force.
