NATO jets intercept Russian fighters, intelligence aircraft over Baltic Sea

LONDON

British and German fighter jets intercepted Russian fighters and intelligence aircraft over the Baltic Sea on Monday as NATO carries out joint air policing efforts in the region.

"Eurofighter Typhoons from the RAF’s IX (B) Squadron and the German Air Force’s 71 ‘Richtofen’ Wing were scrambled to intercept and visually identify several unidentified aircraft flying close to NATO airspace," the UK’s Royal Air Force (RAF) said in a statement.

The RAF said the two forces are currently working as part of Operation Azotize to protect the eastern flank of NATO’s border.

The Air Forces of the UK and Germany are operating Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets out of Amari Air Base in the Baltic state of Estonia as a combined force.

"We often see Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea and so this was a routine intercept for us. Nevertheless, the importance of intercepting these aircraft and our commitment to the collective defense of NATO airspace remains steadfast and resolute," a RAF pilot said in the statement.

In March, British and German fighter jets twice intercepted Russian aircraft close to Estonian airspace.

Security in the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, all of which border Russia, has been under increased scrutiny since February 2022, when Russia launched a war on its neighbor Ukraine.