- Sweden identified two Russian Su-35S fighters and a Tu-22M3 bomber over the Baltic Sea and scrambled jets to monitor the flight on Jan. 23.
- The interception reflects routine NATO air policing as Sweden tracks Russian military aviation near its airspace.
Sweden’s Armed Forces detected two Russian Su-35S fighter jets and one Tu-22M3 bomber flying over the Baltic Sea on January 23, prompting a response by Swedish Air Force quick reaction alert aircraft.
According to a statement published by the Swedish Armed Forces, the aircraft were identified by Sweden’s incident readiness forces, which were scrambled to monitor the flight activity and assert Swedish presence in the area. Swedish fighters shadowed the Russian aircraft to ensure that movements in the region were tracked and did not go unnoticed.
“Yesterday, Swedish incident readiness identified two Russian Su-35S fighter aircraft and one Russian Tu-22M bomber over the Baltic Sea,” the Swedish Armed Forces said in a statement. “Swedish fighter aircraft marked presence and ensured that flight movements in our vicinity do not pass unnoticed.”
The encounter took place in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, a region that has seen frequent Russian military aviation activity since the start of the war in Ukraine. Sweden routinely launches fighters under NATO-standard air policing procedures to monitor and identify military aircraft operating near its airspace.
The Su-35S is a multirole fighter used by Russia for air superiority missions, while the Tu-22M3 is a long-range bomber capable of carrying cruise missiles and anti-ship weapons. The combination of escort fighters and a bomber is a standard Russian formation used during long-range patrols and presence flights near NATO and partner countries.
Images released by the Swedish Armed Forces show Swedish fighter aircraft flying alongside the Russian jets at altitude, visually confirming identification and maintaining situational awareness. The military did not disclose which Swedish aircraft type was used in the interception, citing routine operational practice.
Sweden joined NATO in 2024, and its air force now operates as part of the alliance’s integrated air and missile defense system in Northern Europe. The country’s incident readiness missions are coordinated with NATO partners to maintain airspace security across the Baltic region.
The Swedish Armed Forces said the purpose of the response was to demonstrate presence and ensure continuous monitoring of activity near Swedish territory. The military did not report any airspace violations during the encounter and said the Russian aircraft remained outside Swedish sovereign airspace.