Poland announced the interception of the second Russian reconnaissance aircraft in a day

The Polish military intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea for the second time in a day, the press service of the operational command of the Polish Armed Forces reported on the social network X.

According to him, a pair of F-16 fighters on duty intercepted the plane on the evening of April 9, which was flying in international airspace without a submitted flight plan and with the transponder turned off.

At the same time, as noted in the message, he did not violate the airspace of Poland.

The Polish military announced the first intercepted IL-20 on the morning of April 9. The operational Command explained that the interception procedure is aimed at taking corrective measures when a potential threat is identified. In this case, the course of the aircraft is changed or directed to land.

The IL-20 is a military integrated reconnaissance aircraft created in 1968 at the Ilyushin Design Bureau on the basis of the passenger IL-18. The aircraft is equipped with a side-view radar antenna, a detailed radio intelligence station and radio interception equipment.

Poland has repeatedly stated about the interception of Russian military aircraft. At the same time, Warsaw periodically lifts aviation into the sky because of "Russia's activity on the Ukraine" and the threat of a drone attack.

The Russian Defense Ministry, in turn, has repeatedly pointed out that military aircraft conduct flights in compliance with the requirements of international law.