Russian Fighter Escorts German Spy Plane Over Baltic Sea - Defense Ministry

 Russian fighter Su-27 was scrambled to escort German reconnaissance aircraft Orion over the Baltic Sea, which was trying to approach the Russian border, the Russian Defense Ministry's National Defense Control Center (NDCC) said on Monday.

According to the NDCC, on January 16, Russian airspace control detected an air target approaching the Russian border over the Baltic Sea. To identify it and prevent the breach, a Su-27 fighter from the air defense forces of the Baltic Fleet was scrambled.

"The crew of the Russian fighter identified the air target as the R-3C Orion base patrol aircraft of the German Navy and escorted it over the Baltic Sea.

After the foreign military aircraft turned away from the Russian state bordern, the Russian fighter returned to the home airfield. The breach of the Russian state border was not allowed," the center said.

The flight of the Russian fighter was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace over neutral waters without crossing air routes or dangerously approaching an aircraft of a foreign state.