Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea on Friday (13 March), according to Poland’s Operational Command.
“A pair of on-duty Polish MiG-29 fighter jets successfully intercepted and visually identified a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea, escorting it away from Poland’s area of responsibility,” the Operational Command said in a post on the X platform.
According to the statement, the Russian Il-20 aircraft was conducting its ninth reconnaissance mission of the year in international airspace. The aircraft was flying without a filed flight plan and had its transponder switched off. It did not enter Polish airspace.
The command added that Polish military personnel maintain constant vigilance over the country’s skies and that the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland are prepared to respond to any threat to national airspace.
In recent years, Russian military aircraft have repeatedly flown near or into the airspace of NATO countries, raising security concerns across northern Europe.
Notably, on 19 September 2025, three Russian MiG-31 aircraft briefly entered Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland without a flight plan or active transponders before being escorted out by NATO jets.
Similar incidents have occurred in Lithuania, Poland and Norway, including drone incursions and brief overflights from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, highlighting what officials describe as a persistent pattern of provocative operations near alliance borders.
NATO officials have condemned these flights as irresponsible, stressing that the alliance will take all necessary measures to defend member states’ sovereignty.
Russia has consistently denied violations and maintains that its operations comply with international law.
The repeated incidents have prompted increased air policing missions and renewed calls for stronger air defence along NATO’s eastern flank.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 21st of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 22nd of July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
President Donald Trump said the United States will target Iran’s heavily fortified Pickaxe Mountain site “pretty soon” as he meets with Lebanese president Michel Aoun. Meanwhile, U.S. forces carried out a 10th consecutive night of strikes on Iran while Tehran continues to target Gulf countries.
Overnight U.S. strikes caused blackouts in southwestern Iran and hit the northwestern city of Tabriz for the first time. Separately, a U.S. soldier died in northern Iraq during a controlled detonation of an unexploded Iranian drone.
The United States has bombed Iran for an 11th consecutive night as the Pentagon says the war’s cost reach $37.5 billion. President Donald Trump threatens a heavy strike on the suspected Pickaxe Mountain nuclear site. Tehran warns that any attack could trigger a wider regional escalation.
Daniel Siad, a modelling scout whose name appeared in documents linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has been found dead at his home near Paris, French prosecutors said. He was 69.
Ukraine's new commander-in-chief, Mykhailo Drapatyi, takes charge at a pivotal stage of the war with Russia, facing mounting challenges including troop shortages, battlefield reform and the rapid evolution of drone warfare.
ASEAN foreign ministers opened the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila on 21 July, launching four days of talks that run until 24 July. The agenda includes South China Sea tensions, Myanmar’s conflict and growing U.S.-China rivalry.
Canadian Foreign Minister Anita Anand has renewed calls for an immediate de-escalation and permanent ceasefire in the Middle East while she warned that the humanitarian situation had become "quite grave". Anand also raised concern over tensions in the South China Sea.
Pakistan has asked the U.S. for a $10 billion exchange stabilisation facility, according to a source briefed on the matter. If approved, the funding would bolster the country's foreign exchange reserves and provide a major boost to its cash-strapped economy.
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