NATO's stand-off with Russia in the skies: Moment German and Swedish fighter jets scramble to intercept Putin spy plane over the Baltic in tense aerial encounter

German and Swedish combatant jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian spy level complete nan Baltic Sea, NATO has revealed. 

The subject bloc said that 2 planes, a Swedish JAS Gripen and a German Eurofighter Typhoon, were sent from their respective bases were forced to place and escort a Russian Ilyushin Il-20 that was flying complete nan Baltic Sea connected Saturday. 

NATO Air Command said nan cognition highlighted Sweden's 'seamless integration into nan Alliance.'

Sweden's equipped forces, the Försvarsmakten, said its level flew over Bornholm, a mini land successful nan Baltic Sea belonging to Denmark, to intercept nan Russian plane. 

Germany's aerial force, nan Luftwaffe, meantime added that nan Russian level was flying 'without a formation level and transponder', adding that its Eurorighter flew from a NATO guidelines successful Latvia. 

It is not presently known precisely what nan Ilyushi-Il-20, known for its developed spying capabilities, was doing complete nan Baltic Sea. 

But its built-in capabilities, which see specialised awesome capturing technology, arsenic good arsenic ample cameras and respective ample antennas, allows it to transmit immense amounts of accusation to crushed bid successful adjacent real-time. 

Early past year, nan Luftwaffe said it was forced to nonstop 2 Eurofighter Typhoons to intercept different Ilyushi-Il-20 complete nan Baltic Sea, which was said to person 'changed guidance respective times', pinch nan aerial unit adding astatine nan time: 'Clear behaviour was not predictable.'

And successful 2022, conscionable a fewer months aft Russia invaded Ukraine, Germany said it scrambled two Eurofighter Typhoons from Ämari Airport successful Estonia a IL-20 flying without a transponder codification successful world airspace betwixt nan Russian exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast and nan Russian mainland. 

Its capabilities, and nan number of operators request to utilise them, 13, slows nan Ilyushi down massively, pinch a maximum velocity of just 419 mph astatine an altitude of 8,000m (26,000ft). 

The Eurofighter Typhoon is overmuch faster, and tin scope speeds of up to 1,320 mph astatine 11,000m (36,000ft) altitude. 

The JAS Gripen is besides overmuch faster than nan Ilyushi, pinch a apical velocity of 1,300 mph astatine an altitude of 15,240m (50,000ft). 

More to follow.