Berlin, April 26, (dpa/GNA) – German and British fighter jets intercepted three Russian reconnaissance aircraft in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, the German Air Force said on Wednesday.
The three aircraft – two SU-27 fighter planes and an Ilyushin Il-20 – were not transmitting their transponder signals. They were intercepted by Eurofighters from the two NATO allies.
The NATO states Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not have their own fighter jets, so the military alliance has been securing the Baltic airspace in north-eastern Europe since 2004.
The allies regularly deploy fighter jets and personnel to the Baltic states bordering Russia.
At the beginning of April, after eight months, the German military handed over command of the NATO air surveillance mission to Britain.
However, the German Air Force will continue to support Britain until the end of the month.
GNA