The Swedish Air Force intercepted a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 ‘Fencer’ attack aircraft that violated the country’s airspace on Friday.
The supersonic jet was flying isolated from other aircraft and was asked to leave the Gotland region by verbal warning. However, the Su-24 continued its flight until it was intercepted by two Saab Gripen fighters, which escorted it out of Sweden.
“The Russian action is not acceptable and demonstrates a lack of respect for our territorial integrity. We followed the entire process and were there to intervene,” said the head of the Air Force, Jonas Wikman.
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According to the Air Force, the last time Russian aircraft carried out unauthorized flights within Sweden was in 2022 when two Su-27 and two Su-24 fighters violated the airspace, also in Gotland, which is to the east of the country.
For Swedish experts, the deliberate violation could be a signal to Sweden, after joining NATO or some action to obtain intelligence information.
Sweden became a member of NATO, the Western military alliance, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, placing Europe in a long-unseen state of military readiness.
Another country that maintained a neutral stance for a decade, Finland also joined NATO and held its first joint military exercises in recent days in Romania.
