Latvia records Russian military aircraft off the country's coast
On Saturday, NATO fighter jets patrolling the skies over the Baltic Sea escorted a Russian IL-20 military aircraft flying near the borders of Latvia, the National Armed Forces of Latvia reported on Twitter.
"On September 17th, NATO patrol fighter jets were scrambled to intercept an Il-20 belonging to the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation over the Baltic Sea near the borders of Latvia," the statement says.
Since the start of the conflict in Ukraine and the deterioration of relations between Russia and the West, Russian warships and aircraft have been increasingly spotted near the borders of the Baltic States. In 2015, Russian military aircraft were recorded more than 270 times near the Latvian border.
The Baltic States and the United Kingdom have repeatedly stated that such incidents are attempts by Russia to demonstrate its power and to test the reaction of NATO.