Dutch F-35s intercept three Russian military aircraft near Poland
By: Lidia Kelly - Reuters News & The Globe and Mail News - 02-14-22
Re:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/worl...t-near-poland/
Two Dutch F-35 fighters intercepted a formation of three Russian military aircraft near Poland and escorted them out, the Netherlands’ defence ministry said in a statement late on Monday.
“The then unknown aircraft approached the Polish NATO area of responsibility from Kaliningrad,” according to Reuters’ translation of the ministry’s statement.
Kaliningrad is a Russian Baltic coast enclave located between NATO and European Union members Poland and Lithuania.
“After identification, it turned out to be three aircraft: a Russian IL-20M Coot-A that was escorted by two Su-27 Flankers. The Dutch F-35s escorted the formation from a distance and handed over the escort to NATO partners.”
The Il-20M Coot-A is NATO’s reporting name for the Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft while the Su-27 Flankers are NATO’s reporting name for the Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft.
Russia’s defense ministry did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for a comment.
The Netherlands’ defense ministry said that eight Dutch F-35s are stationed in Poland for February and March.
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Personal note: Once again Russia is testing the water's and seeing the response's
to air spaces not within their boundaries. Nobody wants any invasion into their
air spaces - more-so now - when it Russian (at these times they don't know who
to trust)?
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