British fighter jets have recently intercepted two Russian aircraft near NATO airspace over the Baltic Sea, the UK Ministry of Defence announced on Sunday.

As part of NATO’s enhanced Air Policing mission, two Royal Air Force Typhoon jets were scrambled from Malbork Air Base in Poland on Tuesday, April 15, to intercept a Russian Ilyushin Il-20M “Coot-A” intelligence aircraft. Two days later, another pair of Typhoons responded to an unidentified aircraft departing from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, also near NATO territory.

These actions come shortly after British aircraft were deployed to Poland to support NATO operations alongside Sweden, reinforcing the Alliance’s eastern defences.

UK Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, stated that Russia is becoming increasingly provocative in challenging NATO airspace. “With Russian aggression growing and security threats on the rise, we are stepping up to reassure our Allies, deter adversaries, and protect our national security,” he said.

Pollard also highlighted the importance of working closely with NATO’s newest member, Sweden, saying the mission reflects the UK’s ability to defend allied airspace “whenever and wherever needed.”

NATO reported that its air forces conducted over 300 intercepts of Russian military aircraft in 2023, the majority over the Baltic Sea. A NATO spokesperson said these efforts are part of maintaining vigilance amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, which has created the most serious security crisis in Europe in decades.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began on February 24, 2022. Sunday marks day 1,151 of the conflict. Photo: SAC Andrew Seaward/MOD, Wikimedia commons.