NATO jets scrambled after Russian aircraft spotted over Baltic Sea and off Norway

Italy and Norway quickly mobilized jets after Russian aircraft were spotted over the Baltic Sea and along the Norwegian coast on Tuesday. 

The Italian Air Force intercepted a Russian Coot-A jet over the Baltic Sea, NATO Allied Air Command said in a post on social media.

Norwegian Air Force F-35s identified multiple Russian aircraft flying in international airspace off the country’s coast, NATO said. 

Both the Norwegian and Italian air forces were scrambled under NATO authority, the command said. NATO did not provide any information about what the Russian aircraft may have been doing, but said they were “not adhering to international norms” when the jets were mobilized. 

Russian warplanes have been spotted intercepted multiple times in recent months. In July, the United States intercepted Russian and Chinese aircraft in international airspace off the coast of Alaska. In February 2024, the U.S. detected four Russian warplanes flying in the same area. More Russian aircraft were spotted in May and February 2023. 

Part of Norway is in the Arctic Circle, where Russia has ramped up its military operations, including tests of advanced hypersonic missiles, in recent months. The Baltic Sea is also near the Arctic Circle.