Stockholm: Sweden’s military reported a breach of its airspace by a Russian SU-24 bomber near the strategically vital Baltic Sea island of Gotland on Saturday. The incident concluded after Sweden deployed two JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets to intercept the Russian aircraft, according to official statements.
The Swedish armed forces stated that two Gripen jets were dispatched after the Russian SU-24 failed to respond to radio warnings from Sweden’s military air traffic control. “On Friday afternoon, a Russian SU-24 jet fighter violated Swedish airspace east of Gotland’s southern tip. The Swedish air combat command warned the Russian aircraft with a verbal call,” the military confirmed.
“When this warning was ignored and the aircraft persisted in its trajectory, it was escorted out of Swedish airspace by two JAS-39 Gripens,” the statement continued. The military characterized the airspace violation as “brief” but emphasized its concern over Russia’s disregard for Sweden’s territorial integrity.
Jonas Wikman, head of Sweden’s air force, condemned the incident, stating, “The Russian actions are not acceptable and demonstrate a lack of respect for our territorial integrity.”
The breach occurred just three months after Sweden’s full accession to NATO, marking a significant shift from its longstanding military non-alliance stance.
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Friday’s event coincided with naval exercises involving Sweden and its NATO allies in the Baltic Sea region. The Swedish military noted that similar airspace violations by Russian aircraft last occurred in 2022, involving SU-27 and SU-24 planes near Gotland.
Meanwhile, Finland, Sweden’s neighbor, separately reported suspicions of four Russian military planes violating its airspace on June 10.
