Sweden scrambles 4 Gripen to intercept 2 Russian jets
The two intercepts occurred in one day over the north and south Baltic, with other NATO jets also taking off to secure shared airspace.
Sweden deployed two pairs of JAS 39 Gripen fighter jets on June 12 to intercept two Russian fighter aircraft flying over the Baltic Sea near its airspace. The Swedish military said the interceptions happened in two separate incidents, one in the south and one in the north of the Baltic. Other NATO fighter jets also took off to help secure the shared airspace. According to the Swedish armed forces, there was no violation of Swedish airspace in the incidents. Ewa Skoog Haslum, chief of joint operations for the armed forces, described Russia's actions as a recurring pattern that threatens territorial integrity and security. Tensions in the Baltic region have risen since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Sweden formally joined NATO in March 2024.