Eurofighter Jets Intercept Russian IL-20 over Baltic Sea During Latvian Defense Mission

Military & Paramilitary OperationsConventional Military PressureAirspace violations

AggressorDefense

Summary

On April 6, 2024, Latvian Eurofighter jets intercepted a Russian IL-20 aircraft over the Baltic Sea during a NATO Baltic air policing mission.

On April 6, 2024, Eurofighter jets participating in a Latvian defense mission flight identified and intercepted a Russian IL-20 electronic surveillance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. This incident occurred during ongoing NATO Baltic air policing operations, which include cooperation with the German Luftwaffe. The interception highlights NATO's continued efforts to monitor and secure the Baltic airspace against Russian military aircraft incursions. Official NATO Air Command and Latvian National Armed Forces acknowledged the mission, with imagery confirming the proximity of the Eurofighter to the IL-20 during the interception. Such flights are part of constant 24/7 Baltic air defense to deter and respond to Russian air activities near NATO airspace.

Classification

Confidence: High

The event clearly describes Russian military aircraft (IL-20) approach and subsequent interception by NATO-aligned Latvian Eurofighter jets, demonstrating active Russian airspace intrusion and allied defensive response through Baltic air policing missions.

Source URL

https://x.com/i/web/status/1776688943771107479

Open source

Provenance

Publisher: csv-import
Submitted: Feb 1, 2026, 00:14 UTC
Last updated: Nov 8, 2026, 22:38 UTC
Event time: Apr 6, 2024, 00:00 UTC

Published as a Defense Preparations signal with a public source and reviewer-approved assessment bands. See the methodology for how records are assessed.

Raw record

{
  "id": "a17bb42e-b2ce-4981-aa43-5169f79100e9",
  "url": "https://x.com/i/web/status/1776688943771107479",
  "source": "csv-import",
  "status": "approved",
  "category": "Military & Paramilitary Operations",
  "subcategory": "Conventional Military Pressure",
  "incident_type": "Airspace violations",
  "country": "Latvia",
  "source_reliability": "C",
  "info_credibility": "3",
  "tags": [
    "Baltic air policing",
    "Eurofighter",
    "Russian IL-20",
    "airspace interception",
    "NATO",
    "Latvia",
    "Baltic Sea",
    "Luftwaffe"
  ],
  "nodes": [
    "Node 1: Borders"
  ],
  "countries": [],
  "where_text": "Airspace",
  "headline": "Eurofighter Jets Intercept Russian IL-20 over Baltic Sea During Latvian Defense Mission",
  "description": "On April 6, 2024, Eurofighter jets conducting a Latvian defense mission flight identified and intercepted a Russian IL-20 aircraft over the Baltic Sea. The interception was part of routine Baltic air policing with NATO and German Luftwaffe cooperation, demonstrating ongoing NATO vigilance and regional airspace monitoring. Photographic evidence shows the Eurofighter and the Russian surveillance plane flying in close proximity during the operation.",
  "summary_short": "On April 6, 2024, Latvian Eurofighter jets intercepted a Russian IL-20 aircraft over the Baltic Sea during a NATO Baltic air policing mission.",
  "summary_extended": "On April 6, 2024, Eurofighter jets participating in a Latvian defense mission flight identified and intercepted a Russian IL-20 electronic surveillance aircraft over the Baltic Sea. This incident occurred during ongoing NATO Baltic air policing operations, which include cooperation with the German Luftwaffe. The interception highlights NATO's continued efforts to monitor and secure the Baltic airspace against Russian military aircraft incursions. Official NATO Air Command and Latvian National Armed Forces acknowledged the mission, with imagery confirming the proximity of the Eurofighter to the IL-20 during the interception. Such flights are part of constant 24/7 Baltic air defense to deter and respond to Russian air activities near NATO airspace.",
  "actor_primary": "Eurofighter jets",
  "target_primary": null,
  "location_text": "Over the Baltic Sea near Latvia",
  "location_region": null,
  "location_coordinates_lat": null,
  "location_coordinates_lon": null,
  "location_precision": "Regional",
  "is_aggressor_signal": true,
  "signal_type": "DEFENSE_PREP_SIGNAL",
  "is_hybrid_war_signal": true,
  "classification_complete": true,
  "hybrid_signal_complete": true,
  "classification_confidence": "High",
  "classification_rationale": "The event clearly describes Russian military aircraft (IL-20) approach and subsequent interception by NATO-aligned Latvian Eurofighter jets, demonstrating active Russian airspace intrusion and allied defensive response through Baltic air policing missions.",
  "event_time_utc": "2024-04-06T00:00:00.000Z",
  "end_time_utc": null,
  "event_time_confidence": "pm24h",
  "created_at": "2026-02-01T00:14:42.323Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T22:38:47.097Z",
  "reliability_band": "strong",
  "location_precision_band": "regional",
  "time_precision_band": "within_24h",
  "severity_band": "minor",
  "attribution_confidence_band": "high",
  "attribution_basis": "single_source"
}

Public assessmentReliability: StrongSeverity: MinorAttribution: HighSingle sourceTime: Same dayLocation: Regional

Source reliability

Info credibility

Event time

Apr 6, 2024, 00:00 UTC

Event time confidence

pm24h

Location

Over the Baltic Sea near Latvia

Primary actor

Eurofighter jets

Country

Latvia

Tags

Baltic air policing, Eurofighter, Russian IL-20, airspace interception, NATO, Latvia, Baltic Sea, Luftwaffe

Nodes

Node 1: Borders

Loading signal...

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