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NATO jets in Lithuania escorted Russian warplanes 5 times in April — Defense Ministry

According to the ministry, no fighter jets were scrambled for air escort until April 14

VILNIUS, May 5. /TASS/. NATO fighter jets, deployed on a rotational basis at the Lithuanian airbase Zokniai, escorted Russian warplanes near the borders five times in April, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry has said.

According to the ministry, no fighter jets were scrambled for air escort until April 14. Over the following two weeks, they conducted four sorties, with an additional one on April 29.

Since July 30, 2024, a contingent of the Italian Air Force, comprising four Eurofighter Typhoon fighters, and the French Air Force, with four Rafale fighters, has been rotated through the Lithuanian airbase. On March 31, they were replaced by pilots from the Polish and Romanian Air Force, who brought eight F-16 Fighting Falcons.

The air escort procedure is a routine measure. NATO forces have carried it out 11 times in January, nine times in February, and 12 times in March over the Baltic countries.

The Russian Defense Ministry has repeatedly stated that flights of Russian military aircraft to and from the Kaliningrad Region are conducted over international waters in strict accordance with international rules.

Since these countries do not possess their own aircraft for air policing, the skies over the Baltic States are monitored and controlled by NATO allies. Since 2004, alliance fighter jets have been stationed at Zokniai on a rotational basis. In 2014, a second rotation was established at Amari Air Base in Estonia.

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