Defense Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamyszas (Wladyslaw Kosiniak Kamysz) reported that two Polish F-16 fighters intercepted a Russian Il-20 aircraft near the northern town of Leba on the Baltic Sea coast before noon on Monday.
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He added that the Russian aircraft was in international airspace and did not violate Polish airspace.
W. Kosiniak-Kamyszas stated that the Russian aircraft was flying without a filed flight plan and with its transponder turned off.
“The Polish Armed Forces constantly monitor the situation and take action to protect Poland’s borders,” he wrote on the social network X.
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The Il-20 is a military reconnaissance aircraft used to collect intelligence on radars, communications, and air defense systems.
This incident occurred just three days after Polish fighters intercepted another Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft about 40 kilometers north of the city of Kolobrzeg on the Baltic Sea coast.
Since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, such incidents have increased significantly. Russian military aircraft often fly close to NATO airspace without filing flight plans and without turning on their transponders.
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