NATO jets scrambled to Russian warplanes carrying supersonic missiles
NATO fighter jets intercepted two Russian Su-30 combat aircraft over the southern Baltic Sea, as the alliance strengthened defences against Moscow’s provocative posturing during joint war games with Belarus. The Russian jets, equipped with Kh-31 supersonic anti-radiation missiles capable of Mach 3 speeds and designed to neutralise radar-equipped ships and air defences, heightened regional alertness.
The Swedish Air Force’s JAS 39 Gripen fighters, supported by Danish F-16s, identified the Su-30SM and Su-30SM2 jets from Russia’s Baltic Fleet flying without transponders or flight plans in international airspace on Sunday. The Kh-31 missiles, with a range of up to 110 kilometres, pose a significant threat to naval and air defence systems, prompting a rapid Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) response.
An Il-20M signals intelligence aircraft, used for electronic and communications reconnaissance to monitor NATO networks, was also escorted away without incident, reported the Daily Mail.
The Swedish Armed Forces, posting on social media, emphasised routine NATO air policing duties, adding: “The Swedish Air Force is always on alert.”
The incident marked the second interception in a week, with Gripens scrambling on September 12 to track similar Russian formations, including an Su-35, amid heightened vigilance across the Baltic region.
The encounters occurred during Russia’s Zapad-2025 exercises with Belarus, concluding on Tuesday after five days of simulated combat near Poland’s border. Involving 20,000 troops, Iskander ballistic missiles, and tactical nuclear simulations, the drills tested hypersonic Oreshnik strikes and amphibious assaults, unnerving NATO’s eastern flank.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, in military uniform, described the manoeuvres as defensive against “Western aggression,” while Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko hosted observers from the US, India, and other nations, highlighting complex global alignments.
Poland, perceiving the exercises as a direct threat, sealed its 418-mile border with Belarus on September 12, citing risks of hybrid warfare, including orchestrated migrant flows.
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