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French Jets Intercept 11 Russian Aircraft Over Baltics in One Week
French Rafale jets operating from Lithuania intercepted 11 Russian aircraft during NATO Air Policing missions. The aircraft included transport planes, fighters, and reconnaissance types. The activity follows recent drone incidents in the region.
Jun 5, 4:26 AM·1m read2 sources
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French fighter jets intercepted 11 Russian aircraft over the past week during NATO Air Policing operations along the alliance's eastern flank. A spokesperson for France's armed forces said the interceptions occurred as part of a four-month rotational mission based at Lithuania's Šiauliai Air Base.
Colonel Guillaume Vernet stated that Rafale jets were scrambled multiple times to intercept planes operating without flight plans or radio contact.
The intercepted aircraft included transport planes such as the Ilyushin Il-18 and Antonov An-12, fighter jets, and reconnaissance aircraft including the Sukhoi Su-24 and Antonov An-30. On Tuesday, French forces intercepted six Russian aircraft operating within the Baltic Area of Responsibility, according to NATO Air Command.
NATO has maintained enhanced air policing along its eastern border since Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. French aircrews are currently stationed in the region to monitor Baltic states' airspace. The interceptions follow a series of drone incursions reported across Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in recent weeks.
A Russian drone carrying explosives crashed in the Romanian city of Galați last week, causing a fire and injuring two people. Moscow has accused the Baltic countries of allowing Ukraine to use their airspace for attacks on Russian territory. The Baltic governments issued a joint statement denying the accusations and rejecting what they described as disinformation.
