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Britain confirms: We detected two Russian planes flying in NATO airspace
2025-04-20 22:56:27 / BOTA
Two Russian aircraft flying close to NATO airspace were detected by British fighter jets in two separate incidents this week, the UK Ministry of Defence confirmed to the BBC.
The United Kingdom's RAF aircraft spotted the first Russian intelligence aircraft on April 15, while two days later another Russian aircraft was spotted near Kaliningrad airspace and, according to the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense, both aircraft were forced to divert.
The Malbork air base in Poland issued an alert about the risk of violating NATO airspace, while the United Kingdom aircraft that protect NATO's eastern flank, together with Sweden, were immediately put into action.
The Minister for the Armed Forces, Luke Pollard, declared that Britain is “unwavering in its commitment to NATO.” “With increasing Russian aggression and growing security threats, we stand ready to safeguard the security of our allies, deter adversaries and protect our national security through our Plan for Change,” he stressed.
Pollard also stressed the importance of cooperation with Sweden, calling the mission a test of the ability to operate side by side with allies and protect NATO airspace “wherever and whenever necessary.” But this is not the first time RAF aircraft have been used to intercept Russian aircraft near alliance airspace.
In 2023 alone, British pilots from the Lossiemouth base in Scotland intercepted 50 Russian aircraft. Incidents like this, known as rapid response alerts, are standard operations to identify and track aircraft that pose a potential threat, including Russian military aircraft or even civilian ones in emergencies.
In a similar incident in October 2024, RAF fighter jets were scrambled to escort a civilian airliner that had reported a bomb on board. The incident ended without consequences and the Boeing continued its flight as normal.
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