Poland intercepts Russian plane over Baltic Sea
Polish fighter jets on Tuesday intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane in international waters over the Baltic Sea, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz told a press conference.
"This is the first Russian attempt in a long time to approach our maritime border in order to probe our air defense systems," he said.
The interception shows that Russia "is constantly conducting hybrid warfare, conducting reconnaissance, and is hostile toward all countries of the North Atlantic alliance," he added.
The incident took place about 30 kilometers (18 miles) from Ustka, a spa town on Poland's Baltic coast, according to the minister.
Two Polish fighter jets established contact with a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft, signaling it should leave the area.
The plane then moved in the direction of Russia, the minister indicated.
Poland, a NATO and EU member state, has frequently accused Russia of making "hybrid threats" since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Source: Agence France Presse
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