Polish F-16s Intercept Russian Il-20 Plane Over Baltic Sea

A pair of F-16s intercepted the Il-20 aircraft north of the Polish coastal city of Kołobrzeg before noon, Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Friday. The plane remained in international airspace and did not enter Polish territory, he added. JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official. “Another successful interception of a Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote on X. He said that the aircraft had been flying without a filed flight plan and with its transponder switched off. The Il-20 is a military reconnaissance aircraft used to gather intelligence on radar, communications and air defense systems. “The Polish Armed Forces continuously monitor the situation and respond decisively to the actions of the Russian Federation while remaining in close cooperation with our NATO allies,” Kosiniak-Kamysz wrote. “The security of Polish skies remains our highest priority,” he added. Russia’s ‘reckless’ missile incursion The interception came a day after a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile entered Polish airspace during a large-scale attack on western Ukraine and crashed near Tarnawa-Kolonia in eastern Poland, around 80 kilometers from the Ukrainian border. The missile crashed in a field, leaving a crater several meters wide but caused no casualties. Polish authorities said that the missile was carrying a “significant amount” of explosive material. Other Topics of Interest Fire Breaks Out at St. Basil’s Cathedral on Moscow’s Red Square A small fire burned furniture and personal belongings inside an office at the iconic Red Square cathedral. No injuries were reported. PPrime Minister Donald Tusk said there was no indication Poland had been deliberately targeted, although an investigation remains ongoing. He added that Polish forces had been prepared to shoot the missile down had it continued deeper into the country’s airspace. The incident drew condemnation across Europe and renewed concerns that Moscow’s war against Ukraine could spill over into neighboring countries that are members of NATO. The alliance’s Secretary General, Mark Rutte, described the incursion as “yet another reckless act by Russia.” Baltic encounters on the rise Friday’s interception was the latest in a series of encounters involving Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea. Russia has repeatedly sent military aircraft close to NATO airspace since launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, prompting allied fighter jets to scramble. Polish fighter jets intercepted Russian aircraft over the Baltic Sea on three consecutive days earlier this month, including Il-20 reconnaissance planes and Su-30 fighter jets operating from Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, which borders Poland. Russian military aviation activity in the region is also monitored through NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, under which Polish and allied aircraft patrol the airspace over the Baltic states and the Baltic Sea. TVP World is Poland's first English-language channel where you can find our guest interviews, world news from the Polish perspective and the latest news from the CEE region.