NATO intercepts Russian bombers and fighter jets over Baltic Sea

World NATO deploys armed fighter jets to intercept Russian military planes flying over Baltic Sea April 21, 2026 / 10:58 AM EDT / CBS/AP Add CBS News on Google NATO intercepted Russian strategic bombers and fighter jets that flew over the Baltic Sea on Monday, a muscular display of air power on the alliance's eastern flank away from the spotlight on the Middle East.French Rafale fighters were deployed from a Lithuanian air base where they are stationed as part of a decades-long NATO air-policing effort. The fighters armed with air-to-air missiles joined jets from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Romania. They all took to the skies to inspect and keep watch on the Russian flight, the French detachment said.The Russian mission included two supersonic Tu-22M3s, as well as about 10 fighters — both SU-30s and SU-35s — that took turns escorting the larger strategic bombers, according to the statement.The Russian Defense Ministry said the long-range bombers' flight was scheduled and occurred in airspace over the neutral waters of the Baltic Sea. The flight took more than four hours, the ministry said Monday on Telegram."At certain stages of the route, the long-range bombers were accompanied by fighters of foreign states," the ministry said. "Crews of long-range aviation regularly conduct flights over the neutral waters of the Arctic, the North Atlantic, the Pacific Ocean, as well as the Baltic and Black Seas. All flights of Russian Aerospace Forces aircraft are carried out in strict compliance with international rules for the use of airspace." In this photo provided by the French Army on April 20, 2026, a Russian supersonic Tu-22M3 strategic bomber, right, and an escorting Su-35 Russian fighter jet fly over the Baltic Sea.  AP The ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday. It often reports flights by its strategic bombers over the Baltic Sea, including in January — when NATO jets also flew up to meet them — an...