Two Dutch F-35 fighter jets intercepted a group of three Russian military aircraft near Poland and escorted them out, the Dutch Defense Ministry said late Monday.
The Department of Defense said in a statement, quotes Reuters
“Unknown at that time, aircraft approached the Polish zone of responsibility of NATO from Kaliningrad.”
Kaliningrad is an enclave of the Russian coast of the Baltic Sea, which is located between Lithuania and Poland, members of the European Union and NATO, the newspaper notes. The Dutch Ministry of Defense said in a statement:
After identification, it turned out that these were three aircraft: the Russian Il-20M Kut-A, which was escorted by two Su-27 Flankers. Dutch F-35s escorted the formation from afar and handed over the escort to NATO partners.
Il-20M Kut-A is the NATO reporting name for the Russian Ilyushin Il-20M reconnaissance aircraft, while Su-27 Flanker is the NATO reporting name for the Su-28 fighter jet. That is, they were two Su-27 attack aircraft and an Il-20M electronic reconnaissance aircraft. The Russian Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Meanwhile, the Dutch Ministry of Defense has said that eight Dutch F-35s will be stationed in Poland in February and March.
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