A Russian military aircraft was detected over the Baltic Sea, prompting Germany to dispatch two fighter jets. The incident adds to the growing tension in the region, following recent airspace violations by Russia. NATO's readiness to respond is emphasized by Estonia's defense minister.
Tensions Rise as Russian Military Aircraft Spotted Over the Baltic Sea
Tensions Rise as Russian Military Aircraft Spotted Over the Baltic Sea
A Russian military aircraft has been observed over the Baltic Sea, reports Der Spiegel. In response, Germany dispatched two fighter jets.
An initially unidentified aircraft flew in international airspace without a flight plan or radio contact over the Baltic Sea on Sunday, according to the German Air Force.
Two German fighter jets took off from the Rostock-Laage airbase and, through visual identification, confirmed it was a Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane, as stated by the German Air Force.
The situation in the Baltic region has recently become tense due to several NATO airspace violations by Russia.
“Putin Watches Our Reaction”
Last week, a large number of drones entered Polish airspace. Carsten Breuer, the Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, described this as an unprecedented violation of Polish airspace.
– Whether intentional or unintentional, Putin will closely watch our reaction. He tested us as an alliance with this airspace intrusion, says Breuer.
Later the same day, two Russian fighter jets reportedly entered the security zone around the Petrobaltic oil and gas platform in the Baltic Sea.
“Preparedness Exists”
Two days later, a Russian drone intruded into Romania.
On Friday, three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets violated Estonian airspace for twelve minutes over the Gulf of Finland. Estonia's defense minister now warns that NATO is ready to use force if necessary.
– We saw on Friday that NATO operates very effectively, to the extent that if we are truly forced to use the last resort, there is preparedness for it, says Hanno Pevkur according to TV4.