NATO fighter jets were scrambled over the Baltic Sea after two Russian Su-30 warplanes, armed with supersonic missiles, were intercepted in a dramatic mid-air stand-off.
The Swedish Air Force confirmed its JAS 39 Gripen fighters, supported by Denmark, identified the Russian aircraft flying without flight plans and with their transponders switched off. Each jet was armed with Kh-31 air-to-surface missiles, weapons capable of reaching speeds of up to Mach 3 and designed to pierce modern naval defences.
Adding to the alarm, a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane, equipped for electronic and communications intelligence, was also detected and swiftly escorted out of the area.
“The Swedish Air Force is always on alert,” Sweden’s Armed Forces posted on social media after the successful operation.
The interception comes against a backdrop of escalating tensions along NATO’s eastern flank. On 9 September, Poland reported 23 Russian drones entering its airspace. Four days later, Romania also accused Moscow of a breach, while Latvia confirmed a Russian drone had crashed in its east. And on Monday, Warsaw said a drone had flown over its presidential palace and government buildings, branding it a clear “provocation.”
Meanwhile, Russia and Belarus have been carrying out large-scale military exercises under the Zapad 2025 drills. These war games, historically used by Moscow to test strategies ahead of invasions, have involved fighter jets, drones, helicopters and infantry, unnerving neighbours already on edge from the war in Ukraine.
Poland deployed 40,000 troops to its border with Belarus and temporarily shut crossings as a precaution. Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned: “The West is at its closest to open conflict since World War Two.”
Military experts say the recent pattern of drone incursions, airspace violations and war games are part of a wider campaign of intimidation. Colonel Hamish de Bretton-Gordon OBE, a former British Army commander, said:
“We gave Putin the impression we weren’t that bothered. Now we must show resolve, otherwise he will keep going.”
NATO allies have responded with “Eastern Sentry”, a bolstered mission to secure the region. Denmark has deployed two F-16s and a frigate, France has sent three Rafales, and Germany four Eurofighters.
Meanwhile, Ukraine continues to endure Russia’s bombardment. President Volodymyr Zelensky said that in just two weeks, Moscow had launched more than 3,500 drones, 2,500 glide bombs and nearly 200 missiles. Both he and Poland’s foreign minister have called for NATO to shoot down Russian drones and missiles over Ukraine.
With tensions mounting, analysts warn the West must act decisively. For many, the question is no longer if Putin will test NATO again, but how far he is willing to push before Europe finds itself in open conflict.
