Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, marking the second such incident involving a Russian military aircraft in two days.<\/p>\n
Polish Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said a pair of Polish aircraft intercepted a Russian Il-20M reconnaissance plane during the morning.<\/p>\n
The Russian aircraft was intercepted about 56 kilometres (35 miles) northwest of Koszalin, the minister said in a post on X.<\/p>\n
Polish Defence Ministry spokesman Janusz Sejmej said the Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter Polish<\/a> territory, according to TVP World.<\/p>\n The incident nevertheless prompted renewed concern in Warsaw over Russian military activity near NATO territory.<\/p>\n \u201cRussia is once again conducting activities of a provocative nature near the borders of NATO member states, testing the vigilance and readiness of the alliance\u2019s defense systems,\u201d Kosiniak-Kamysz said.<\/p>\n The latest interception came just one day after Polish F-16 fighter jets intercepted another Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea.<\/p>\n The repeated incidents highlight the heightened level of surveillance and air defence activity along NATO\u2019s eastern flank as tensions between Russia and the military alliance remain high.<\/p>\n Poland, a NATO member bordering Russia\u2019s Kaliningrad region, has repeatedly warned about potential security risks linked to Russian military activity in the Baltic region.<\/p>\n Although neither of the latest Russian aircraft reportedly entered Polish sovereign airspace, the flights have prompted Polish forces to scramble fighter jets and monitor the aircraft closely.<\/p>\n