NATO: intercepted Russian military aircraft over 300 times in 2023

BRUSSELS. In 2023, NATO air forces across Europe intervened more than 300 times to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching Alliance airspace, with most interceptions occurring over the Baltic Sea.

NATO has permanent air police missions that require the intervention of allied jets in the event of signals of Russian military aircraft approaching allied airspace in an unpredictable manner.

Along NATO’s eastern flank, Russian military aircraft are used to not transmitting a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, not submitting a flight plan and not communicating with air traffic controllers.

The vast majority of air encounters between NATO and Russian jets have been safe and professional. Violations of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft have remained rare and generally of short duration.

NATO intercepted Russian military aircraft over 300 times in 2023

‘Russia’s war against Ukraine has created the most dangerous security situation in Europe for decades,’ said NATO spokesman Dylan White. ‘NATO fighter jets are on duty 24 hours a day, ready to go if there are any suspicious or unannounced flights near the airspace of our allies. Air control is an important way in which NATO provides security to our allies’.

Following Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO substantially strengthened its air defences on its eastern flank, including with more fighter jets, surveillance flights and air defences on the ground.

After repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure very close to NATO territory, the allies deployed additional fighter jets in Romania. In October, after the rupture of submarine pipelines in the Baltic Sea, NATO sent additional capabilities to the region.

This year, NATO held its largest air exercise ever, with over 250 aircraft training for the Alliance’s collective defence during ‘Air Defender 23’.

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