Polish F-16s intercept Russian spy plane over Baltic as NATO vigilance intensifies

Polish fighter jets intercepted a Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday in the second such incident this week, as Warsaw accused Moscow of testing NATO’s readiness through increasingly frequent surveillance flights near the Alliance’s borders.

A pair of Polish Air Force F-16s, operating under NATO air policing duties, intercepted the aircraft approximately 56 kilometres northwest of Koszalin before noon local time. The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not violate Polish sovereign territory, according to the Polish Ministry of Defence.

Defence Minister W?adys?aw Kosiniak-Kamysz described the flight as another deliberate provocation.

“Russia is once again conducting activities of a provocative nature near the borders of NATO member states, testing the vigilance and readiness of the Alliance’s defence systems,” he said.

The Il-20M, known by NATO as the “Coot-A”, is an electronic intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft designed to collect information on radar, communications, and air defence systems.

Second interception in two days

Tuesday’s incident follows another interception on Monday, when Polish F-16s intercepted a Russian Il-20 approximately 60 kilometres off the Polish coast near ?eba. According to Polish authorities, that aircraft was flying without a filed flight plan and with its transponder switched off, complicating air traffic management.

The latest encounters are part of a broader increase in Russian military aviation activity over the Baltic Sea. Polish aircraft have intercepted several Russian reconnaissance aircraft and Su-30 fighters in recent weeks, with similar incidents also recorded earlier this year.

Heightened tensions after missile incident

The interceptions come only days after a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Polish airspace during a large-scale strike on western Ukraine before crashing in eastern Poland. NATO described the incident as another reckless Russian action, prompting Poland and its allies to activate air-defence assets and increase surveillance along the Alliance’s eastern flank.

Although the Russian reconnaissance aircraft remained in international airspace, such flights routinely trigger NATO fighter scrambles to visually identify and monitor the aircraft, ensuring the safety of civilian air traffic and maintaining awareness of military activity near Alliance borders.