Three Russian aircraft were intercepted by German and British fighter jets in international airspace over the Baltic Sea on Wednesday, according to the German Armed Forces.
One Il-20 and two military Su-27 aircraft were “again flying without transponder signal,” the German Armed Forces tweeted.
The Baltic airspace in northeastern Europe has been protected by the military alliance since 2004 because NATO members Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania lack fighter jets of their own. In order to achieve this, the allies frequently send soldiers and fighter jets to Russia’s bordering Baltic Sea republics.
At the beginning of April, after eight months, the Bundeswehr handed over command of the NATO air surveillance mission to Great Britain. However, the German Air Force will continue to support it until the end of the month.