Three NATO Members Report Incursions By Russian Aircraft Into Territory
EUROPE - Estonia, Lithuania, and Denmark which are all members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) alliance have reported incursions by Russian forces who filed no flight plan and turned off their transponder.
Estonia reported an intrusion into its airspace by an Mi-8 Hip helicopter from the Russian Border Guard for around two minutes on Saturday. A statement given by the Estonian Ministry of Defense said that the helicopter flew above Koidula in south-eastern Estonia along its border with Russia, filed no flight plan, and turned off its transponder, even failing to establish any radio communication with air traffic control in Estonia.
The Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) statement on Tuesday said, "Estonia considers this an extremely serious and regrettable incident that undoubtedly causes additional tensions and is completely unacceptable".
Kusti Salm, permanent secretary at Estonia's MOD said that "During the ongoing exercises, Russia is simulating missile attacks against Estonia. This is something that has become daily... This is the picture of the threat. It has never been as serious as it is now.”
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense reports that Russian warplanes violate its airspace every week without filing flight plans and with their transponders flipped off. Last week Lithuania reported 8 violations from Russia, and the week before that there were 13 violations reported.
The violations of Lithuania's airspace are listed as follows by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense:
On June 13–19, fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled 8 times to patrol the Baltic airspace border with the Russian Federation and Belarus and to intercept military aircraft of the Russian Federation in the international airspace over the Baltic Sea that was flying in violation of international aviation flight rules.
On June 14 NATO fighter aircraft conducting the NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic states were scrambled to intercept one AN-30 flying from Kaliningrad into international airspace and back to Kaliningrad. Its onboard transponder was on, and the crew had no pre-filed flight plan but maintained radio communication with the regional air traffic control center.
On June 15 the NATO Air Policing Mission fighter detachment jets safeguarding the Baltic airspace were conducting patrols by the airspace border with the Russian Federation and Belarus.
On June 15 NATO fighter jets intercepted one AN-30 in international airspace as it was flying from and back to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder on, without the flight plan, maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control center.
On June 16 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one IL-20 flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad via international airspace with its onboard transponder off, no flight plan, maintaining radio communication with the regional air traffic control center.
On June 16 NATO fighter aircraft intercepted one AN-30 flying in international airspace from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia via international airspace, without the flight plan, using its onboard transponder, to maintain radio communication.
On June 17 the NATO Air Policing Mission fighter detachment jets safeguarding the Baltic airspace were conducting patrols by the airspace border with the Russian Federation and Belarus.
On June 18 NATO air policing fighter jets intercepted one IL-20 flying in international airspace from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia. Its onboard transponder was on, no flight plan, maintaining radio communication only with the regional air traffic control center in Tallinn.
On June 19 the NATO Air Policing Mission fighter detachment jets safeguarding the Baltic airspace were conducting patrols by the airspace border with the Russian Federation and Belarus.