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NATO intercept Russian military planes over 300 times in 2023

03.01.2024 15:00
The NATO alliance scrambled its fighter jets to intercept Russian military aircraft more than 300 times during 2023, mostly over the Baltic Sea, according to officials.   
A UK fighter jet moves to intercept a Russian military aircraft heading towards British air space off the coast of north-west Scotland.
A UK fighter jet moves to intercept a Russian military aircraft heading towards British air space off the coast of north-west Scotland.Photo: RAF/MOD, OGL v1.0OGL v1.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

NATO released the figures in a statement issued at the end of the year.

Officials said that during 2023, "NATO air forces across Europe scrambled well over 300 times to intercept Russian military aircraft approaching Alliance airspace, with most intercepts occurring over the Baltic Sea."

NATO added: "The vast majority of aerial encounters between NATO and Russian jets were safe and professional. Breaches of NATO airspace by Russian military aircraft remained rare and generally of short duration."

NATO has a policy to scramble its fighter jets "when there are signs of Russian military planes approaching Allied airspace in unpredictable ways," the alliance 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," the pact's spokesperson Dylan White told reporters on Friday.

In response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, NATO has strengthened its air defences on the eastern flank, through additional fighter aircraft, surveillance flights and ground-based air defences, the Air Force Technology website reported.

In 2023, NATO also held its biggest ever air exercise, “Air Defender 23,” featuring "over 250 aircraft training for the collective defence of the Alliance," according to officials. 

Wednesday is day 679 of Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022, launching the largest military campaign in Europe since World War II.

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Source: NATO, Reuters, Air Force Technology