Sweden intercepted Russian military aircraft approaching its airspace over the Baltic Sea in two separate incidents. The Swedish Armed Forces stated that Gripen fighter jets were deployed and that the Russian planes did not enter Swedish airspace.
According to the Swedish military, the incidents occurred on Friday. During the first and second interception missions, JAS 39 Gripen jets were scrambled to identify the Russian military aircraft.
It was reported that one of the intercepted planes was a Su-24 and the other a Su-34. Both flights took place in the Baltic Sea region, near Swedish airspace.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson described the events as part of recurring Russian military activities in the region. He emphasized that the military's swift response demonstrated the importance of being prepared every day.
Kristersson also highlighted that Swedish airspace was not violated this time. However, he noted that the situation can change rapidly and stressed the need for Sweden and its allies to maintain high capabilities in detecting, identifying, and intercepting airspace incursions.
This incident adds to a series of recent encounters with Russian military aircraft near NATO countries in the Baltic region. Similar cases have been reported more frequently in recent months following the large-scale war in Ukraine.
In May, Poland also intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane entering international waters over the Baltic Sea. Polish officials described that flight as a provocation.
