Swedish fighter jets intercept two Russian bombers over the Baltic Sea

Sweden scrambled two Jas 39 Gripen fighter jets on Monday morning after two Russian Tu-22M3 bombers were detected flying over the Baltic Sea, according to a report by public broadcaster SVT Nyheter.

The Russian aircraft were first identified around 10:00 AM northeast of Gotland, having entered the region from the Gulf of Finland before heading toward the Danish island of Bornholm and later turning back, said Jonas Bäsk, duty communications officer for the Swedish Armed Forces.

The bombers remained in international airspace and did not violate Swedish territory, though they were accompanied by two Russian fighter jets as escorts. Sweden responded by deploying its quick-reaction alert force, dispatching two Gripen jets to monitor and escort the Russian formation away from the area.

Lieutenant Colonel Robert Krznaric, the Swedish Air Force’s operations chief, told newspaper Expressen that the mission aimed to “demonstrate presence and ensure no violation of our airspace occurs.”

While the purpose of the Russian flight remains unclear, Bäsk noted that such incidents are not uncommon. A similar event took place last autumn when a Russian fighter jet was detected over the Baltic Sea, SVT previously reported.