Two Hungarian Gripen fighters engaged in a NATO mission successfully intercepted five Russian military aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea near Latvia's airspace. This was reported by NATO's Air Command.
NATO fighters escorted five Russian planes, which the Alliance stated included three MiG-31s and Su-30 and Su-35 fighters. These aircraft flew over the Baltic Sea without violating NATO countries' airspace.
The Hungarian Gripen fighters were launched from the Šiauliai airbase in Lithuania to intercept the Russian planes, as they are currently fulfilling NATO's air policing mission in the region.
“Hungary demonstrates its commitment to the Alliance in defending and ensuring the security of the Baltic states and their eastern flank,” NATO's statement read.
On September 19, three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonia's airspace. According to the Estonian Defense Forces, the aircraft were illegally in Estonian airspace for approximately 12 minutes. The Estonian government initiated consultations with NATO under Article 4.