Over the past week, Italian Air Force Eurofighters deployed to Ämari Air Base in Estonia have been scrambled several times to intercept Russian aircraft operating close to NATO airspace. The missions were carried out as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing effort, currently reinforced by the Eastern Sentry framework.
According to NATO, Italian fighters were launched on short notice to identify and shadow a variety of Russian assets approaching the Baltic region’s international airspace corridors. The images released in recent days show different types of Russian aircraft involved in these encounters, including a Su-24 Fencer and, in another case, a Russian Tu-134UBL training aircraft escorted by a pair of Su-35 fighters.
All interceptions took place in international airspace, following standard procedures. As often happens in the Baltic region, the Russian aircraft involved were not in contact with air traffic control and were not transmitting a transponder code, prompting the launch of the Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) fighters.
The Italian detachment at Ämari operates under NATO’s Air Policing mission, which provides continuous, 24/7 protection of the Alliance’s airspace. Under Eastern Sentry, NATO has enhanced its presence and responsiveness along the eastern flank, ensuring greater flexibility in reacting to any potential airspace violations or unsafe behaviour.
Italian Eurofighters have been contributing regularly to Baltic Air Policing for more than a decade, and the latest series of scrambles confirms the continued importance of this mission at a time of persistent Russian military activity in the region.
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