NATO fighter jets stationed around the Baltic and Black Seas were intercepted several times over four days to monitor and intercept Russian aircraft flying near Allied airspace, NATO said on Friday. Allied radars had been tracking an unidentified number of unidentified aircraft since Tuesday, NATO officials said. “Russian military aircraft often do not transmit a transponder code indicating their position and altitude, do not submit a flight plan or communicate with air traffic controllers, posing a potential risk to civilian aircraft,” the NATO air force said in a statement. Rapid reaction fighters from Poland, Denmark, France and Spain made interceptions in the Baltic Sea region. Meanwhile, Romanian and British aircraft descended from Romania to monitor aircraft in the Black Sea region, NATO said. The Russian aircraft never entered the alliance’s airspace, NATO said, adding that the interceptions were carried out in a safe and standard manner.
