NATO air forces were mobilized more than 300 times in 2023 in response to threats posed by Russian warplanes, NATO said in a statement on Friday.

We are talking about Russian military planes that were approaching the airspace of the Alliance, most of the interceptions took place over the Baltic Sea, News.ro reports with reference to Reuters.

NATO has permanent airspace control missions that require allied aircraft to intervene when there are signs that Russian warplanes are approaching allied airspace in an unpredictable manner.

Along NATO’s eastern flank, Russian warplanes regularly turn off their transponders so as not to indicate their position and altitude. They also do not transmit their flight plan and do not communicate with air traffic controllers.

The vast majority of air encounters between NATO and Russian aircraft were safe and professional, NATO states. Violations of NATO airspace by Russian warplanes remain rare and, in general, short-lived, the North Atlantic Alliance also said.

“Russia’s war against Ukraine has created the most dangerous security situation in Europe in decades,” said acting NATO spokesman Dylan White.

“NATO fighter jets are on duty 24 hours a day, ready to intervene in case of suspicious or unannounced flights near the airspace of our allies. Air policing is an important way in which NATO ensures the security of our allies,” White was quoted as saying in the press release.

NATO boosts air defenses on eastern flank after Russia goes to war in Ukraine

Since Russia’s war in Ukraine, NATO has significantly strengthened air defenses on its eastern flank, including more fighter jets, reconnaissance flights and ground-based air defense systems.

After repeated Russian strikes on Ukrainian port infrastructure, which are taking place very close to NATO territory, the allies have deployed additional fighter jets to Romania.

In October, after damage to underwater pipelines in the Baltic Sea, NATO sent additional forces to the region.

This year, NATO also organized its largest air exercise to date, with more than 250 aircraft training for the Alliance’s collective defense as part of Air Defender 23.

On Friday, Russia carried out one of the largest air strikes on Ukraine since the start of the war, killing 18 civilians and injuring at least 132. Residential buildings were damaged in Kyiv, in the south and west of the country.

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