Russian Il-20 Near Ustka, Poland Scrambles Fighter Jets

Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft about 40 kilometers north of Ustka after it approached Polish airspace without its identification systems switched on, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said.

Kosiniak-Kamysz described the incident as another episode involving a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic. He said the plane created a danger for civilian aviation, although it did not breach Polish airspace.

The interception took place amid repeated appearances by Russian military aircraft near Poland. Polish fighters previously intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane over the Baltic on Aug. 31, about 30 kilometers north of Łeba. That aircraft also remained outside Polish airspace. Russian aircraft were intercepted over the Baltic several times earlier, including in mid-July and early August.

Russian reconnaissance aircraft, and more recently combat aircraft, regularly fly over the Baltic with their transponders switched off and without filed flight plans. That makes remote identification impossible and complicates the work of civilian air-traffic controllers. Experts cited in the report said such flights have become standard Russian practice in recent years and can test NATO countries’ responses and air-defense systems while also disrupting civilian aviation in the region.

Interception over international waters generally involves fighter pilots identifying the aircraft through optical systems and visual contact, establishing communication if possible, and escorting it away from the area monitored by Polish aviation. NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, along with regional forces from Poland, Sweden, Denmark and Germany, helps monitor air activity over the Baltic and the surrounding area.

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Another incident over the Baltic involving a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft. Forty kilometers north of Ustka, our fighters intercepted a Russian aircraft that did not have its identification systems switched on and posed a threat to civilian aviation. There was no violation of Polish airspace.