NATO Deploys Armed Fighter Jets to Intercept Russian Military Planes Over Baltic Sea NATO intercepted Russian strategic bombers and fighter jets flying over the Baltic Sea on Monday, a coordinated display of air power on the alliance’s eastern flank. French Rafale fighters, stationed at a Lithuanian air base as part of a decades-long NATO air-policing mission, joined forces with aircraft from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark, and Romania. The operation involved the deployment of armed jets to monitor and track the Russian flight, with the French detachment confirming the involvement of the coalition. The Russian mission included two supersonic Tu-22M3 bombers, escorted by approximately 10 fighter jets—primarily SU-30 and SU-35 models—that took turns accompanying the larger aircraft. According to the Russian Defense Ministry, the flight was scheduled and occurred in the neutral airspace of the Baltic Sea, lasting over four hours. The ministry stated that Russian long-range bombers routinely conduct flights over international waters, including the Arctic, North Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Baltic, and Black Seas, all in compliance with international airspace rules. The ministry did not immediately respond to further inquiries about the incident. NATO’s Allied Air Command also declined to comment on the event. The alliance has consistently scrambled fighter jets to intercept Russian aircraft approaching or flying near NATO airspace. NATO officials have noted that many intercepted Russian planes fail to use transponders, communicate with air traffic controllers, or file flight plans, necessitating the deployment of NATO aircraft to identify and monitor them.#nato #russian_defense_ministry #lithuania #french_air_force #baltic_sea
Russian air defenses intercept 389 Ukrainian drones in largest attack Russian air defenses intercepted 389 Ukrainian drones during what Russia’s Defense Ministry described as the largest overnight aerial attack on its territory and the Crimean Peninsula since the invasion of Ukraine over four years ago. The strike targeted 13 Russian regions and the Crimean Peninsula, which Russia illegally annexed in 2014. The attack highlighted Ukraine’s growing ability to deploy long-range drones, developed and manufactured domestically. The assault followed a day of intense Russian strikes on Ukraine, during which Moscow launched nearly 1,000 drones and 34 missiles at civilian areas within 24 hours. The attack extended Russia’s usual nighttime bombardments into daylight hours, marking one of its most significant aerial operations of the war. Ukrainian authorities reported at least six deaths and around 50 injuries from the strikes. The escalation came amid a pause in U.S.-facilitated peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv, as Washington’s focus shifted to the Iran conflict and Ukraine prepared for a potential Russian spring offensive. Alexander Drozdenko, governor of Russia’s Leningrad region, confirmed 56 drones were shot down in his area, while a fire broke out in the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga following an attack. Ukrainian forces also struck the Belgorod region near the Ukraine border, damaging energy infrastructure and disrupting power, water, and heating supplies, according to regional governor Vyacheslav Gladkov. In Kharkiv, Russia’s second-largest city, drones struck residential areas during the afternoon, injuring at least nine people, per mayor Ihor Terekhov.#ukraine #russian_defense_ministry #crimean_peninsula #leningrad_region #ust_luga
