NATO Intercepts Eight Russian Fighter Jets Over Baltic Sea

Russian fighter jets, May 24, 2008A NATO patrol intercepted Russian fighter jets over the Baltic Sea, Lithuanian authorities said on Wednesday, as Moscow marks the anniversary of its takeover of Crimea with one of its largest military drills in years.

The group of eight Su-27 and Su-34 fighter jets and three Russian military transports was intercepted over international waters on Tuesday, a Lithuanian Ministry of Defense spokeswoman said.

“These were first Russian fighters intercepted by NATO’s Baltic air police this year,” Viktorija Cieminyte said, adding that the Russian pilots switched off their transponders to avoid commercial radar and did not talk to air traffic control.

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Image: Russian fighter jets, May 24, 2008 (photo: Pavel Adzhigildaev)