The key facts

  • Tu-22M3 bombers carried out a flight lasting more than four hours over neutral waters of the Baltic Sea, according to the Russian Defense Ministry
  • Escort was provided by Su-35S and Su-30SM; on certain stages, fighters of foreign states, which were not named, accompanied the aircraft
  • The flight took place amid rising tensions in the region and Moscow's recent warning that it would use 'all weapons and means' in the event of an attack or an attempt to annex Kaliningrad

Scheduled flight over neutral waters

Russia's Defense Ministry said on Friday that Tu-22M3 strategic bombers carried out a scheduled flight over the Baltic Sea. According to the ministry, the flight over neutral waters lasted more than four hours.

Escort and foreign fighters

The bombers were escorted by Su-35S and Su-30SM aircraft of the Russian Aerospace Forces. The Defense Ministry also noted that on certain sections of the route the Russian aircraft were accompanied by fighters of foreign states, without specifying which ones. The statement emphasized that all flights of the Aerospace Forces' aviation 'are carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace.'

Context of regional tensions

The flight took place against the backdrop of a deteriorating situation in the Baltic region: Moscow recently warned that it would use 'all weapons and means' in response to a direct attack on Russia or an attempt to annex Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad is a Russian semi-exclave bordering Lithuania to the north and east, Poland to the south, and the Baltic Sea to the west and northwest. The headquarters of the Baltic Fleet is based in the region, and it is separated from allied Belarus by a corridor about 65 km long at its narrowest point, known as the Suwalki Gap.