Germany on alert after Russian reconnaissance aircraft intercepted in its airspace

On Thursday, a Russian reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted near the north-eastern coast of Germany and then escorted by two German Air Force Eurofighter military jets.

Spotted over the Baltic Sea, the Russian aircraft (an Ilyushin II-20 model) wasn't transmitting a transponder signal, which is used for identification purposes, reports Le Figaro. The fact that the aircraft's transponder wasn't active is a sign of “a considerable danger to civilian air traffic”, says the German daily Bild.

In response, two Eurofighters were deployed to intercept the "unidentified" aircraft from the Rostock-Laage airbase. An incident that highlights the increasing geopolitical tensions in the region.

A swift response

To preserve the integrity and safety of its airspace, the German Air Force's reaction was swift. After being intercepted, the Russian Ilyushin II-20 changed direction and headed towards Kaliningrad, from where it had been detected.

As a reminder, in mid-March, the future German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the giant investment plan to rearm Germany was justified by the need to counter the "war against Europe" being waged by Moscow.

(MH with Manon Pierre - Source: Le Figaro/Bild - Illustration: ©Unsplash)