Polish jets intercept Russian spy plane over Baltic Sea

Polish Air Force fighter jets intercepted a Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, according to the Operational Command of Poland’s Armed Forces.

A pair of Polish MiG-29 fighter jets intercepted and escorted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane flying over the Baltic Sea on Tuesday, according to military officials.

Photo courtesy of the Operational Command of Poland's Armed Forces

A pair of Polish MiG-29s identified and escorted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane that was flying in international airspace, the military said in a statement.

The aircraft had no filed flight plan and its transponder was turned off, the statement said.

Officials emphasized that the Russian plane did not enter Polish airspace. The interception was described as “swift, effective and safe,” highlighting what the command called the pilots’ professionalism and the efficiency of Poland’s air defense system.

The Polish military said that protecting national airspace is a daily mission and that its forces remain “constantly ready to respond to any threat and safeguard the country’s sovereignty.”

28 października 2025 roku para dyżurna myśliwców MiG-29 🇵🇱 Sił Powietrznych dokonała skutecznego przechwycenia, identyfikacji wizualnej oraz eskortowania z rejonu odpowiedzialności samolotu Federacji Rosyjskiej, który wykonywał lot nad Morzem Bałtyckim.

Polskie myśliwce… pic.twitter.com/oKNh8LRFRX

— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) October 29, 2025

(mp/gs)

Source: Radio Poland/IAR/X/@DowOperSZ