![Airmen, aircraft to support NATO policing mission in Baltics [Image 1 of 2] - Sputnik International](https://cdn1.img.sputnikglobe.com/img/102414/23/1024142382_0:41:1600:945_600x0_80_0_0_c313955fd8f4844a69ab9c4e140fe233.jpg "Airmen, aircraft to support NATO policing mission in Baltics [Image 1 of 2]")
VILNIUS (Sputnik) — NATO fighter aircraft tasked to guard the Baltic States' airspace, were scrambled five times last week to intercept the Russian warplanes over the Baltic Sea, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said in a press release on Monday.
"From April 25 to 30 NATO fighter jets conducting the Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States were scrambled five times to intercept military aircraft of the Russian Federation in international airspace over the Baltic Sea," the press release reads.
In mid-April, Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Maj. Gen. Igor Konashenkov said all flights by airplanes from Russia’s Aerospace Forces were completed in accordance with international norms. His comments came in response to statements that Russia completed dangerous actions over the Baltic Sea.
The Baltic states comprising Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania do not possess air patrol capabilities. Since joining NATO in 2004, the three countries' airspace has been defended by a rotating NATO mission.
