The Operational Command of the Polish Armed Forces said in a post on X that a pair of MiG-29 fighter jets took off before 9 a.m. local time to identify and escort a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft.
According to the statement, the Russian plane was flying without a filed flight plan and with its transponder turned off, posing a threat to civilian air traffic in the region.
Polish pilots intercepted and identified the aircraft, which was then escorted in line with NATO procedures, the military said.
There was no violation of Polish airspace, the statement added.
“The Polish Armed Forces remain on full combat readiness and are effectively responding to all provocative actions by the Russian Federation, in close cooperation with our NATO allies,” the Operational Command said, amid Russia’s ongoing war in neighbouring Ukraine.
The incidents come as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has created the most dangerous security situation in Europe in decades, according to NATO officials.
Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
Friday is the 1,346th day of the war.
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Source: IAR, PAP