The Russian aircraft intercepted comprised transport models such as the Ilyushin Il-18 and Antonov An-12, along with fighter and reconnaissance planes.

Over the last week, French fighter jets engaged 11 Russian aircraft during NATO’s Air Policing operation along the alliance’s eastern flank, according to a representative of France’s armed forces on Thursday.

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In a briefing on French military activities, Colonel Guillaume Vernet detailed that Rafale jets from France were repeatedly deployed from Lithuania to intercept Russian planes «flying without filed flight plans or radio communication».

The Russian aircraft involved included transport planes such as the Ilyushin Il-18 and Antonov An-12, alongside fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft like the Sukhoi Su-24 and Antonov An-30.

On Tuesday, NATO Air Command reported that French troops based at Lithuania’s Šiauliai Air Base scrambled to intercept six Russian planes «operating inside the Baltic Area of Responsibility».

French aircrews are presently based in the area under NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, a rotation lasting four months that aims to secure the airspace of the Baltic states. Since Russia annexed Crimea in 2014, NATO has reinforced its eastern boundary.

These interceptions follow multiple drone violations of Baltic airspace over Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in recent weeks.

Last week, a Russian drone loaded with explosives crashed in Galați, Romania, igniting a fire on the roof of a residential building and injuring two individuals.

Moscow has accused Baltic states of permitting Ukraine to use their airspace to conduct strikes on Russian territory.

The Baltic governments have refuted these accusations, asserting that they «firmly reject Russia’s blatant disinformation campaign and false claims».

«The Nordic-Baltic countries have never allowed their land or airspace to be utilized for attacks against locations in Russia,» they stated in a collective declaration.