Polish fighter jets have intercepted a Russian reconnaissance plane over international waters in the Baltic Sea, Defense Minister Wladyslaw Koszyniak-Kamysz announced at a press conference, quoted by Agence France-Presse, BTA reported.
"This is the first Russian attempt in a long time to approach our maritime border in order to test our air defense systems," he said.
According to him, this is yet another proof that Russia "is waging a hybrid war" against Poland, a member of NATO and the EU, since the beginning of Moscow's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, and that "it carries out reconnaissance missions and shows hostility towards all countries of the North Atlantic Alliance".
The incident took place about 30 kilometers from Ustka - a resort town in northwestern Poland on the Baltic Sea coast, the minister specified.
Two Polish fighter jets on airspace duty established contact with the Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft and signaled it to leave the area.
The aircraft then moved away in the direction of Russia, the defense minister added.