Polish air forces intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane Il-20 over the Baltic Sea

Polish air forces intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane Il-20 over the Baltic Sea, 40 kilometers north of Kolobrzeg, according to an announcement made on Friday by the government in Warsaw.

Two F-16 fighter jets were scrambled in response to the detection of the aircraft, which was flying without a flight plan and with its transponder turned off. Polish Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized that the plane did not enter Polish airspace. The incident comes amid an increase in Russian reconnaissance flights near Polish coasts.

Also, a day earlier, Polish officials confirmed the crash of a Russian cruise missile CH-101, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, on Polish territory, without causing casualties. The missile exploded on impact, but no injuries were reported.