Overview
- Two Polish MiG-29s intercepted and escorted an Il-20 in international airspace over the Baltic on Oct. 30 after a visual identification.
- Poland said the reconnaissance aircraft flew without a filed flight plan and with its transponder switched off, and it did not enter Polish airspace.
- The operation followed a similar interception reported on Oct. 28, making this the second such encounter in as many days.
- Large-scale Russian missile and drone attacks on Ukraine led Poland to scramble fighters and an early warning aircraft and to raise air-defense and radar alerts.
- Radom and Lublin airports were briefly closed for military aviation activity, and Russia’s Defense Ministry has not commented on the Il-20 flights.