The Allied Joint Force Command Brunssum (Netherlands) has reported a sharp increase in the number of combat sorties by Alliance fighter jets on the eastern flank. According to the command, in July 2026 such sorties rose by more than 250% compared with July 2025.
In an official statement posted on the social network X, the command said: “The numbers don’t lie. Compare July 2025 with July 2026, and the picture becomes impossible to ignore: the number of combat scrambles on NATO’s eastern flank increased by more than 250%.” The reason cited is regular flights by Russian military aircraft near Alliance airspace without flight plans and without transponder signals. As a result, NATO fighters are forced to scramble to intercept and identify these aircraft.
The command stressed that every such scramble demonstrates the readiness of NATO forces and the protection of Allied airspace. The rise in activity is linked to more frequent flights by Russian military aviation in the Baltic region and other sections of the eastern flank.
Specific incidents had previously been reported. In particular, on 31 July 2026 Polish F-16 fighters intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The aircraft was flying in international airspace without a flight plan and with its transponder switched off; no violation of Polish airspace was recorded. Similar interceptions of Russian aircraft (including Su-30 and Su-27) were also recorded on other days in July.