From December 23 to 29, NATO fighter jets carrying out air patrol missions in the Baltic region flew two sorties to identify and escort Russian aircraft that were violating flight rules.
Points of attention
- NATO fighters took to the skies twice to intercept Russian aircraft over the Baltics in December.
- Incidents of interception of Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea have become regular in recent months.
- Secret documents indicate that Russia has been developing plans for strikes on its eastern border, which could pose a threat to regional security.
- The Russian military expresses concern about the defense of the eastern flank and considers it unprotected in the event of a conflict with NATO.
- The documents indicate the relevance of the Russian Federation's strategies for future military actions, including possible attacks on civilian infrastructure.
NATO again raised fighter jets over the Baltics due to Russian aircraft
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, on December 23, NATO fighter jets detected a Russian Il-20 aircraft flying in international airspace from the Russian mainland to the Kaliningrad region.
The aircraft was without a flight plan, with its radar transponder turned on and maintaining radio contact with the regional flight control center. A sortie was also made to identify the Il-76 aircraft.
On December 25, NATO fighters scrambled to escort a Russian An-26.
Earlier, on December 17 , it was reported that fighter jets from the Netherlands, Finland, and Sweden intercepted Russian Tu-22 strategic bombers escorted by Su-27 fighters over the Baltic Sea.
Prior to this, NATO had recorded seven sorties of its aircraft to intercept Russian aircraft violating flight rules in the Baltic region.
Such incidents have become regular in recent months.
Not only Ukraine can become a victim of Russia
Journalists have obtained secret documents indicating that the strike plans cover 160 facilities — nuclear power plants and other civilian infrastructure, as well as roads, bridges, and factories.
What is important to understand is that the preparation of Russian officers for potential invasions on the eastern border of the Russian Federation continued from 2008 to 2014.
Despite this, these plans are still relevant for the Russian Federation's strategy, so they can still be used in the future.
Documents shown to the FT by Western sources highlight Moscow’s acute concerns about its eastern flank. Russian military planners fear that the country’s eastern borders would be left undefended in any war with NATO and vulnerable to attack by US assets and regional allies, the paper said.
