Russian Bombers Fly Over Baltic as Kaliningrad Tensions Rise
The Russian Defense Ministry said Tu-22M3 bombers carried out what it described as a scheduled flight above neutral waters.
Su-35S and Su-30SM jets from the Russian Aerospace Forces escorted the bombers, the ministry said. Fighter jets from foreign nations also shadowed the formation “at certain stages of the route.”
The ministry did not identify which countries had scrambled aircraft.
“All flights by Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are carried out in strict compliance with international rules for the use of airspace,” the statement added.
The mission comes as tensions in the region climb. Moscow recently warned it would use “all weapons and means” at its disposal in response to any direct attack on Russia or any attempt to annex Kaliningrad.
Kaliningrad is a Russian semi-exclave, bordered by Lithuania to the north and east, Poland to the south, and the Baltic Sea to the west and northwest.
The territory hosts the headquarters of Russia’s Baltic Fleet. It sits about 65 kilometers (40.3 miles) from Belarus, a close Russian ally, at the narrowest point, a stretch known as the Suwalki Gap.
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