British RAF Typhoon jets intercepted two Russian aircraft near NATO airspace earlier this week as part of NATO's enhanced air policing mission.

Axar.az, citing BBC, reports that on 15 April, an Il-20M "Coot-A" intelligence aircraft was intercepted over the Baltic Sea. Two days later, another unidentified aircraft was intercepted leaving Kaliningrad airspace.

Both incidents involved jets deployed from Malbork Air Base in Poland under Operation Chessman, in cooperation with Sweden, NATO’s newest member.

This marks the RAF’s first such missions in the region since arriving to help defend NATO’s eastern flank. UK Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard emphasized the UK's firm commitment to NATO and its increased defense readiness amid rising security threats.

RAF intercepts of Russian aircraft are not uncommon, with 50 such instances recorded in 2023.

These quick reaction alerts, dating back to the Cold War, are used to monitor and deter potential airspace violations, involving both military and civilian aircraft when necessary.