A Su-27 jet has been scrambled to intercept four foreign warplanes over the Baltic Sea, the Russian National Defence Control Centre said in a press release.
"On 31 August, Russian airspace control systems detected four air targets approaching the state border of the Russian Federation over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. To identify air targets and prevent violation of the state border of the Russian Federation, a Su-27 fighter was scrambled", the centre said.
Among the identified targets were a US Air Force RC-135 , A Swedish Gulfstream, Denmark's Challenger and Germany's P-3C Orion.
After the warplanes were diverted from the border, the Russian jet returned to base. The Su-27 operated in full compliance with international airspace regulations. The NATO warplanes did not cross the Russian border, the release concludes.
For several weeks now, the Russian Defence Ministry has been reporting NATO aircraft approaching Russia's borders in the airspace over the Black Sea and Baltic Sea. The reconnaissance aircraft and bombers have subsequently been intercepted by Russian Su-27 fighter jets.
The military’s official newspaper, Krasnaya Zvezda, reported on 28 August that just last week, the Russian Armed Forces had detected 38 foreign jets that were engaged in reconnaissance activities close to the country's airspace.
