France Intercepts 11 Russian Aircraft in Baltic Mission as NATO Scrambles From Lithuania
Updated
Updated · Euronews · Jun 5
France Intercepts 11 Russian Aircraft in Baltic Mission as NATO Scrambles From Lithuania
3 articles · Updated · Euronews · Jun 5
Summary
French Rafale jets intercepted 11 Russian aircraft over the past week while flying NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission from Lithuania, France’s armed forces said Thursday.
The scrambles were triggered by Russian planes operating without flight plans or radio contact in NATO’s Baltic area of responsibility, including transport, fighter and reconnaissance aircraft.
Six of those aircraft were intercepted on Tuesday after French crews launched from Šiauliai Air Base, where they are deployed on a four-month rotational mission to protect Baltic airspace.
The interceptions come amid recent drone incursions across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania and after an explosive-carrying Russian drone crashed in Romania’s Galați, injuring two people.
NATO has reinforced its eastern flank since Russia’s 2014 annexation of Crimea, while Baltic governments reject Moscow’s claim that they let Ukraine use their airspace for attacks on Russia.