British Typhoons scrambled to intercept Russian spy plane as WW3 fears explode

British Typhoons scrambled to intercept Russian spy plane as WW3 fears explode

Two British Typhoon FGR4s at Malbork Air Base were launched to intercept the Russian Ilyushin Il-20M.

British Typhoon jets intercept Russian spy plane

RAF Typhoon jets deployed in Poland were scrambled to intercept a Russian intelligence aircraft on Saturday, 24 May 2025, during a NATO Enhanced Air Policing (eAP) mission. Two Typhoon FGR4s from No. II (Army Cooperation) Squadron, currently operating under 140 Expeditionary Air Wing (EAW) at Malbork Air Base, were launched after a Russian Ilyushin Il-20M—NATO codename COOT-A—approached Polish airspace. The aircraft had previously been intercept…

RAF Typhoons intercept Russian aircraft near NATO airspace during enhanced Air Policing mission

The Russian aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-20M—known by its NATO designation COOT-A—was first intercepted earlier that day by three other pairs of NATO aircraft. These previous escorts disengaged when the Il-20M entered Kaliningrad airspace. Shortly after, the aircraft altered course southwest towards Polish airspace, prompting NATO to scramble the RAF Typhoons based in Malbork. The Il-20M then turned northwest over the Baltic Sea in international air…