On Tuesday, Swedish Jas 39 Gripen jets intercepted and visually identified
two Russian Tu-22 Backfire bombers escorted by two Su-27 Flanker fighters over the Baltic Sea.
Finland’s F-18 Hornets initially responded in the Gulf of Finland,
later replaced by NATO’s Dutch F-35 Lightning II under Air Policing operations.
Swedish fighters then took over international airspace near Gotland,
highlighting smooth coordination among NATO allies and Sweden’s bilateral defence collaborations.
Russian Statement:
According to Russia’s Defense Ministry,
two Tu-22M3 bombers conducted a scheduled five-hour flight over neutral Baltic Sea waters,
escorted by Su-30SM and Su-27 jets.
Date: Tuesday 1 July 2025
Time: 13:00
Type: Sukhoi Su-34
Owner/operator: Russian Air Force
Fatalities: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Other fatalities: 0
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Location: near Kulebaki, Nizhny Novgorod Oblast - Russia
Destination airport: USAV
Narrative:
"During the landing approach, the release system of one of the landing gear legs failed.
The crew made several attempts to eliminate the malfunction in flight,
but the situation did not change.
On the command of the flight director, the crew brought the aircraft to a safe zone and ejected,"
the military department said.
Both crew members were able to eject and were picked up by an air force search and rescue team.
However the navigator sustained fatal injuries after hitting trees after ejecting.
He passed away in hospital.
The aircraft was not carrying ordnance during the flight.
The incident was officially acknowledged by the Russian Ministry of Defence.
The aircraft was initially misidentified on social media channels as a Su-27.
Today in the Nizhny Novgorod region, a Su-34 aircraft crashed due to the failure of one of the main landing gear struts. The navigator died.
Polish and allied aircraft were scrambled on Wednesday morning
to “ensure the safety of Polish airspace”,
with officials confirming Russian drones were shot down after entering NATO airspace.
Outgoing Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans confirms
that Dutch F-35s stationed in Poland helped shoot down several Russian drones last night.
Whether the drones were deliberately sent into Polish airspace is still being investigated,
according to Brekelmans.
"But the fact that there were multiple drones makes it particularly suspicious."
The Netherlands is consulting with partners about an "appropriate response."
Russian fighter jets breach Estonian airspace near Tallinn
Russian MiG-31s flew into Estonian airspace and approached Tallinn before being pushed back by NATO jets.
September 19, 2025 4:12 pm CET
Three Russian fighter jets flew into Estonian airspace on Friday
in a serious escalation on NATO’s eastern border,
people familiar with the incursion told POLITICO.
The MiG-31 aircraft
— heavy interceptors capable of carrying Russia’s Kinzhal hypersonic missile —
crossed about five nautical miles inside Estonian territory
and headed toward the capital, Tallinn, according to people briefed on the situation.
The jets circled for about 12 minutes before NATO scrambled Italian F-35s to repel them.
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