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2w ago

NATO and Sweden Track Russian Tu-22M3 Bombers Over Baltic Sea

The coordinated scramble highlights an air-policing system that shadows Russian long-range flights without breaches of alliance airspace.

FILE - In this photo released by the Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on May 21, 2024, Russian air force crewmen at an undisclosed location in Russia prepare a Tu-22M3 bomber for a training mission as part of drills for using tactical nuclear weapons. Russia's nuclear doctrine says the country could use nuclear weapons in response to a nuclear strike or an attack with conventional weapons that threatens "the very existence" of the Russian state. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP, File)
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Overview

  • Swedish Gripen jets, which launched Monday, identified two Tu-22M3 bombers near Gotland and passed the track to Danish F-35s near Bornholm.
  • Russia’s Defense Ministry said the flight lasted about four hours, stayed over neutral waters, and complied with international air rules.
  • French Rafales took off from Šiauliai in Lithuania as jets from Finland, Poland, Denmark, Romania and Sweden joined to monitor a formation that included roughly 10 Su-30 and Su-35 escorts.
  • No aerial engagement occurred and no NATO airspace was entered, consistent with the alliance’s routine intercepts to maintain safety and visibility near its borders.
  • Photos from the intercept show at least one bomber carrying a Kh-32 cruise missile designed for anti-ship strikes, a detail reported from imagery rather than confirmed by NATO.