Russia scrambles fighter jets after airspace violation alert

PanARMENIAN.Net - Two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jets were scrambled earlier this week in response to an alert that Russian airspace over the Baltic Sea had been violated by a small passenger plane, the Defense Ministry said Wednesday, July 24, according to RIA Novosti.

The Russian Aerospace Defense Forces detected an aircraft flying over Polish territory toward Gdansk Bay about 50 kilometers away from the Russian border on Monday night.

“At 8:26 pm on July 22, a Cessna plane crossed the Russian border over the Gdansk Bay without responding to calls [from Russian authorities],” the ministry said in a statement.

A Sukhoi Su-27 fighter jet stationed in the Kaliningrad Region was sent to establish the aircraft's identity and prevent its further movement into Russian airspace.

“After visual contact with the Su-27, the trespasser turned around and flew toward Lithuania, crossing the border with that Baltic state at 9:09 pm,” the statement said.

A second Su-27 fighter was scrambled shortly afterward to boost defenses of Russian airspace in the region, it added.

The Defense Ministry did not provide further details of the incident, including the trespassing aircraft’s identity.