NATO's Air Command said in a post on the X social media platform that the incidents took place on Thursday.
"Check out how it looks when two French Mirage 2000-5 intercept two Russian SU-30-M aircraft over the Baltic Sea yesterday," NATO's Air Command said.
It added: "Directly after the French fighters were re-tasked to a new mission, where they also intercepted a Russian AN-72 flying in international airspace north of Poland."
French military authorities said the Russian SU-30-M fighter aircraft were intercepted "off the Latvian coast," while the An-72 transport aircraft was intercepted "off the Lithuanian coast."
It also said that the French jets "intercepted a succession of Russian aircraft" on Thursday, including an IL-20 Coot spy plane off the coast of Lithuania.
NATO says its air forces across Europe last year "scrambled well over 300 times to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching Alliance airspace, with most intercepts occurring over the Baltic Sea."
Russia’s war against Ukraine "has created the most dangerous security situation in Europe in decades,” acting NATO spokesman Dylan White has said.
"NATO fighter jets are on duty around the clock, ready to scramble in case of suspicious or unannounced flights near the airspace of our Allies," he added.
Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, starting the largest armed conflict in Europe since World War II.
Friday is day 737 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.
(gs)
Source: PAP, nato.int