Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea

On Tuesday, Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft Il-20, which was approaching Poland's maritime border, announced Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz.

The incident occurred about 30 kilometers from Ustka, a town on the Baltic Sea coast. The minister emphasized that this is the first attempt by Russia to approach Poland's borders for the purpose of observing air defense systems, highlighting the hybrid nature of the war that Russia is waging against Poland and other NATO member states.

Polish aircraft established radio contact with the Russian aircraft, demanding that it leave the area, and it subsequently headed towards Russia. The incident underscores the heightened tensions in the region, in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022.