Sweden says a Russian fighter plane violated its airspace - DW

A Russian SU-24 aircraft violated Swedish airspace on Friday near the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, and has not withdrawn until now. Sweden He sent two fighter planes, as this country's army indicated, today, Saturday (06/15/2024).

The incident comes three months after the Scandinavian country joined the European Union NATOAfter two centuries of neutrality and then military non-alignment.

The Armed Forces said in a statement, “The Swedish Combat Air Command sent a verbal warning to the Russian aircraft.” He added: “Because the warning was not heeded and the plane did not divert its course, it was taken out of Swedish airspace by two aircraft.” [aviones de combate] JAS-39 Gripen”.

The island of Gotland is located less than 350 kilometers from the heavily militarized Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. According to Swedish military doctrine, whoever controls this island can largely control air and sea movements in the Baltic Sea.

Sweden reopened its military guardhouse on Gotland in 2018, after years of declining military spending led to its closure in 2004.

The last violation of Swedish airspace by Russia dates back to March 2022, when Swedish fighters intercepted two SU-24s and two SU-27s flying over Jutland.

Sweden's historic decision to join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) came after the Russian invasion of its country Ukraine In 2022. The Scandinavian country had previously strengthened its army after Russia’s annexation of the peninsula. Crimea In 2014.

p (AFP/Reuters)