“Today at around 11:30 am, Italian Air Force Aeronautica Militare Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, deployed to Ämari Air Base, Estonia, were deployed to intercept a Russian BE-200 aircraft flying from mainland Russia to the Baltic Sea,” NATO’s Allied Air Command said in a statement on social media.
“This activity is part of NATO Air Policing, which protects NATO airspace 24 hours a day.
“By 2025, more than 500 scrambles have been conducted in NATO airspace.”
There was no comment on whether the Russian plane had entered Allied airspace.
The BE-200 can perform tasks such as firefighting, search and rescue and maritime patrol.
The aircraft intercepted by NATO said it made its first flight in 2020 The aviator exhaust.
NATO last year accused the Kremlin of “reckless behavior” around its borders after a series of high-profile incidents.
Europe is working to build a so-called drone wall along the eastern flank in response to the Russian incursions.
British fighter jets also often intercept Russian fighter jets, both near Britain and in NATO, as part of deployments aimed at strengthening the alliance’s airspace.
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