Overview

• Sweden said JAS 39 Gripens identified two Su‑30s and escorted an Il‑20M over the southern Baltic without any breach of Swedish airspace.
• Multiple reports said the fighters were armed with KH‑31 supersonic anti‑radiation missiles, raising concern over deliberate signaling near allied defenses.
• Danish F‑16s supported the response as part of heightened alliance air policing measures that include the Eastern Sentry mission.
• The Russian aircraft operated without transponders or filed flight plans in international airspace, according to the reporting.
• The encounter occurred during Russia’s Zapad‑2025 exercises and follows recent drone incursions in Poland, Romania, and Latvia that have spurred tighter regional defenses.