"The Polish Armed Forces said that the plane, an Ilyushin-20 turboprop-powered reconnaissance aircraft, was flying on Tuesday just outside Polish airspace but had turned off its transponder. Flying dark in this manner typically indicates that a military aircraft is conducting, or providing support for, a surveillance mission. The armed forces said in a statement that two Polish Mikoyan MiG-29s "successfully intercepted, visually identified, and escorted" the Russian plane."
""Thanks to the high combat readiness, the professionalism of the pilots and the efficient functioning of the air defense system, the operations were carried out quickly, effectively and safely," the Polish Armed Forces' operational command wrote in a statement. The Russian defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Poland shares part of its northeastern border with Kaliningrad, a Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea."
Poland scrambled two MiG-29 fighters to intercept a Russian Ilyushin-20 reconnaissance aircraft that turned off its transponder while flying just outside Polish airspace. Flying without a transponder typically signals a military surveillance mission or support for one. Polish jets successfully intercepted, visually identified, and escorted the Il-20, with the operational command crediting pilot professionalism and air-defense readiness for a safe outcome. The Russian defense ministry did not immediately comment. The Baltic Sea region, including Kaliningrad, remains a tension hotspot since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and NATO allies report increased airspace and drone incidents.
#poland #il-20-reconnaissance-aircraft #mig-29-interception #baltic-sea-tensions #nato-air-incursions
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