04.06.2026 21:51
French Armed Forces Spokesperson Guillaume Vernet announced that French fighter jets took off 11 times last week to intercept Russian military aircraft in the region as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission. The French spokesperson stated that the intercepted aircraft included armed fighter jets, intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft, and transport planes, describing the situation as a "provocation" and assessing it as an attempt by Russia to "show force."
The French Armed Forces announced that French aircraft took off multiple times last week to intercept Russian military aircraft in the Baltic region.
COMBAT AIRCRAFT TOOK OFF 11 TIMES
French Armed Forces Spokesperson Guillaume Vernet stated in a weekly press briefing that French aircraft took off 11 times to intercept Russian aircraft in the region as part of NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission. In his assessment, Vernet described these incidents as an unusually high number of "provocations."
"AN ATTEMPTED SHOW OF FORCE BY RUSSIA"
Vernet said, "The French unit serving in the Baltic Air Policing Mission carried out numerous interceptions of Russian military aircraft flying without submitting a flight plan or establishing radio contact." The spokesperson noted that the intercepted aircraft included armed combat aircraft, intelligence and reconnaissance aircraft, and transport aircraft. The French spokesperson described this situation as "an attempted show of force by Russia" during the annual St. Petersburg International Economic Forum held in the country.
INCREASED CONCERNS THAT THE WAR COULD SPILL OVER INTO NATO MEMBER COUNTRIES
The development, occurring after the recent detection of military unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in the airspace of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, has heightened concerns that the war in Ukraine could spill over into the borders of NATO member countries.
Under NATO's Baltic Air Policing Mission, the airspace of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania is protected by the rotational deployment of allied combat aircraft in the region. The mission aims to compensate for the air defense capacity deficiencies of these countries. As part of the task, NATO fighter jets take off to identify and intercept unidentified aircraft or those not adhering to flight rules.