The command said the Russian aircraft was carrying out its ninth reconnaissance mission this year in international airspace, flying without a filed flight plan and with its transponder switched off.
“On Friday, March 13, 2026, a pair of MiG-29 Polish Air Force fighters on duty successfully intercepted, visually identified and escorted out of the area of responsibility a Russian aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea,” the command said on X on Monday.
It said the Russian plane did not violate Polish airspace.
“Thanks to the high readiness of the alert forces, the experience of the pilots and the efficient operation of the air defense system, the task was carried out quickly, professionally and safely,” the command said.
Such incidents have occurred several times in recent months, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
It said Russian reconnaissance aircraft regularly fly over the Baltic with transponders turned off and without filed flight plans, preventing remote identification and complicating the work of air traffic control authorities.
(jh/gs)
Source: PAP