"Polish F-16s have intercepted two Russian Su-30s over the Baltic Sea. Any breach of Poland's and the region's security will be met with an immediate NATO response," Tomczyk wrote on X.
Earlier this month, the Operational Command of Poland's Armed Forces said a pair of Polish F-16 fighter jets intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance plane over the Baltic.
The military said at the time that such interceptions are not a show of force but a standard measure to maintain control of national airspace.
“Their purpose is the rapid identification of objects that do not respond to air traffic control, operate without the required flight plan or violate applicable rules,” the Command said.
It added that interception procedures allow authorities to quickly determine the nature of a flight, assess any potential threat and, if necessary, take corrective action such as altering the aircraft’s course or directing it to land.
Monitoring Russian aviation activity in the region is part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, under which Polish and allied aircraft patrol airspace over the Baltic states and the Baltic Sea, Polish state news agency PAP reported.
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Source: IAR, PAP