Poland said its air force intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over international waters in the Baltic Sea, calling the Russian flight a provocation and a potential threat.
“The aircraft was flying in international airspace without a registered flight plan and with transponders turned off. There was no violation of Polish airspace,” the Polish Army said in a social media post.
Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said flights without transponders on could pose a threat to other aircraft and that their pilots would always respond immediately.
“Our aircraft over international waters in the Baltic Sea. This is yet another aggressive action by the Russian Federation and a test of ours, “he wrote in X.
Our planes intercepted a Russian Il20 reconnaissance plane over international waters in the Baltic Sea. These are further aggressive actions by the Russian Federation and testing of our air defense systems. Flights without transponders turned on may pose a threat to other…
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz)
This Wednesday, the Polish Army said it had carried out it as a preventive measure due to Russian attacks in Ukraine.
“The ground-based air defense and radar reconnaissance systems that were activated have returned to standard operational activities,” the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command wrote in X.
