According to a statement from the Swedish Armed Forces, two Gripen fighter jets belonging to the Swedish Air Force intercepted two Russian Navy aircraft flying near Swedish airspace. The incident, which occurred shortly after 2:2 local time on Friday, saw the Russian aircraft flying over Malmö.
Russian Su-30SM Fighter Jets in the Baltic Sea
Swedish Armed Forces press officer Mikael Ågren stated that this incident was not a training exercise and was triggered by the detection of other aircraft. Ågren confirmed that the mission started with the detection of two Russian Su-2SM Flanker fighter jets operating in international airspace over the southern Baltic Sea.
The Swedish military did not confirm whether the Russian aircraft had approached Swedish airspace, but Ågren stressed that similar incidents occurred “quite frequently.” The Swedish warplanes completed the mission and returned to base at 19:30, according to the TT news agency.
Su-30SM Features and Russian Activities in the Region
SU-30SMis a twin-engine fighter aircraft in service with Russia's naval aviation, capable of long-range operations and frequently used in intervention and patrol missions over international waters. According to the Swedish press, the fighter aircraft in question Kh-31P (AS-17 Krypton) with anti-radiation missiles was equipped.
This latest encounter comes as Russian military aircraft have increased their presence in the region since the start of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sweden remains on high alert It adds to a series of recent air patrols. While the Swedish Armed Forces did not provide further operational details, Ågren confirmed that all actions taken were “within the scope of standard procedure.”
