Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on October 29, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
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Polish jets intercepted a Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea, underscoring NATO's vigilance against airspace incursions.
WARSAW (Reuters) -Polish jets intercepted a Russian aircraft on Tuesday that was flying a reconnaissance mission in international airspace over the Baltic Sea without a filed flight plan and with its transponder turned off, the Polish army said on Wednesday.
Countries on NATO's eastern flank have been on high alert for potential airspace incursions since September when three Russian military jets violated Estonia's airspace for 12 minutes just days after more than 20 Russian drones had entered Polish airspace.
"Polish fighter jets intercepted an Il-20 aircraft conducting a reconnaissance mission in international airspace, without a filed flight plan and with its transponder turned off. The aircraft did not violate Polish airspace," the Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said.
Jacek Goryszewski, spokesperson for the Polish army's operational command, told private broadcaster TVN24 that the incident showed Poland was "vigilant to ensure our airspace is not violated".
Last week, Alexus Grynkewich, a U.S. Air Force general serving as NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, told Reuters that Russia appears to have been deterred by NATO's firm response last month to incursions into Polish and Estonian airspace, but that Moscow is expected to continue testing boundaries.
(Reporting by Alan CharlishAdditional reporting by Pawel FlorkiewiczEditing by Frances Kerry)
A reconnaissance aircraft is a type of military aircraft used for gathering intelligence and information about enemy forces or terrain, often equipped with advanced sensors and cameras.
NATO, or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, is a military alliance of countries from North America and Europe established for mutual defense against aggression.
Airspace incursion refers to an unauthorized entry into a country's airspace, which can pose security risks and lead to military responses.
A transponder is an electronic device that emits a signal in response to an incoming signal, commonly used in aircraft to identify themselves to air traffic control.
Vigilance in a military context refers to the state of being watchful and alert to potential threats or dangers, ensuring readiness to respond to incidents.
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