The flights of Russia’s Su-30SM fighter jets over the Baltic Sea on November 23 and December 13, 2017, were held in accordance with the international air space management rules and their routes were coordinated with air traffic control authorities, the Russian Defense Ministry press service said on Saturday. This reported by TASS.
"On November 23 and December 13, 2017, the crews of Russia’s Su-30SM fighter aircraft performed scheduled training missions over the Baltic Sea’s neutral waters. The flight route for the Russian fighter aircraft was coordinated with the air traffic control authorities and carried out in strict compliance with the international air space management rules without violating the borders of other states," the report says.
The ministry also confirmed that NATO’s F-15s approached the Su-30SMs during the training missions. "During the training missions, NATO’s F-15 planes approached the Russian fighter aircraft at a safe distance, after which they altered their course and withdrew," the Defense Ministry specified.
The US Air Forces in Europe (USAFE) released a video of F-15 fighter jets intercepting Su-30 Russian multirole fighters near the Baltics.
The intercepts reportedly took place in November and December 2017 and were conducted by F-15s deployed to Siauliai International Airport in Lithuania.
The video consists of two clips, with one showing the F-15C Eagles aircraft scrambled to intercept the alleged Russian Navy Su-30 Flankers "in international airspace near the Baltics" on November 23.
Great link to previously unreleased @48FighterWing #F15C intercept imagery during Baltic Air Policing #AlliedStrong @US_EUCOM @USEmbVilnius https://t.co/JvHrIusddh
— USAFE-AFAFRICA (@HQUSAFEPA) 5 января 2018 г.
The command explained that the decision was prompted, among other things, by the absence of pre-agreed flight plans for the Russian aviation.
