Russian military aircraft intercepted by NATO jets

NATO fighter jets intercepted two Russian military aircraft that failed to comply with international air traffic regulations, posing a security concern, according to NATO Air Command.

The incident, which occurred off the coast of Latvia, marks the third such violation in February.

The French Air Policing detachment currently stationed in Lithuania scrambled Rafale fighter jets to intercept the aircraft, ensuring the security of NATO airspace. NATO Air Command confirmed the event in a public statement:

“Two 🇷🇺 aircraft not adhering to international flight regulations are intercepted by 🇫🇷 Rafale off the coast of 🇱🇻. The 🇫🇷 Air Policing detachment based in 🇱🇹 scrambled to ensure the continued safety and security of NATO airspace.”

Two 🇷🇺 aircraft not adhering to international flight regulations are intercepted by 🇫🇷 Rafale off the coast of 🇱🇻

The 🇫🇷 Air Policing detachment based in 🇱🇹 scrambled to ensure the continued safety and security of NATO airspace pic.twitter.com/4umCgmwOWe

— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) February 21, 2025

This latest airspace violation follows two previous incidents earlier in the month. On 7 February, a Russian aircraft violated Finnish airspace, and just four days later, a Su-24MR aircraft intruded into Poland’s territorial waters. These repeated incursions have heightened concerns among NATO member states, reinforcing the alliance’s commitment to maintaining airspace integrity in the region.

NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission continues to serve as a frontline defence mechanism against such intrusions, ensuring rapid response to potential security threats. The alliance has reiterated its readiness to intercept and deter any further airspace violations, particularly amid ongoing tensions between Russia and NATO members.

In the previous year, NATO air forces across Europe scrambled well over 300 times to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching Alliance airspace, with most intercepts occurring over the Baltic Sea.

NATO has standing air-policing missions that calls for Allied jets to scramble when there are signs of Russian military planes approaching Allied airspace in unpredictable ways.

According to the Alliance:

“Along NATO’s eastern flank, Russian military aircraft have a history of not transmitting a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, not filing a flight plan, or did communicating with air traffic controllers. The vast majority of aerial encounters between NATO and Russian jets were safe and professional. Breaches of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft remained rare and generally of short duration. 

In the wake of Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO has substantially reinforced its air defences on its eastern flank, including with more fighter jets, surveillance flights and ground-based air defences. After repeated Russian strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure very close to NATO territory, Allies deployed extra fighter jets to Romania. In October, after subsea pipelines ruptured in the Baltic Sea, NATO sent additional capabilities to the region.”

“Russia’s war against Ukraine has created the most dangerous security situation in Europe in decades,” said acting NATO Spokesperson Dylan White.

“NATO fighter jets are on duty around the clock, ready to scramble in case of suspicious or unannounced flights near the airspace of our Allies. Air policing is an important way in which NATO provides security for our Allies,” he added.