Spanish Fighters Intercept Russian Aircraft Following Brief Incursion into Lithuanian Airspace
VILNIUS, Lithuania – Spanish Eurofighter typhoon fighter jets were scrambled Thursday afternoon after two Russian military aircraft briefly entered Lithuanian airspace, a NATO member state. Teh incident, lasting approximately 18 seconds, occurred around 4:00 PM local time, according to a statement from the Lithuanian armed forces.
The aircraft identified as a Su-30 fighter and an il-78 refueling plane, reportedly originated from the Kaliningrad region and were possibly engaged in a refueling training exercise at the time of the incursion, Reuters reported. As part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, the spanish fighters were immediately deployed to patrol the area in response.
Hours following the report, the Russian Defense Ministry issued a denial, stating its aircraft remained within Russian airspace during scheduled training flights over the Kaliningrad region. A statement published on Telegram read, “On october 23, Russian Su-30 fighters carried out scheduled training flights over the territory of the Kaliningrad region (…) the planes did not deviate from the flight path and did not violate the borders of other states.” https://t.me/mod_russia/57817
This incident is the latest in a series of airspace violations involving Russian military aircraft and NATO members. In September, estonia reported an “unprecedented violation” with three MiG-31s penetrating its airspace for 12 minutes, prompting a response from Italian F-35 fighter jets.
Norway also disclosed earlier this year that russian aircraft had violated its airspace on three separate occasions: April 25th, July 24th, and August 18th.
These events underscore ongoing tensions in the region and highlight the importance of NATO’s air policing missions to safeguard the airspace of its member states.
Keywords: Lithuania, Russia, NATO, airspace violation, Baltic Air Policing, Su-30, Il-78, Eurofighter typhoon, Kaliningrad, estonia, Norway, military aircraft, defense, international security.
