According to Norad's announcement, on Sunday, August 24, the E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft, two F-16 fighters and two KC-135 air tankers were directed to intercede and visual identification of the Russian Iła-20, known in NATO code as COOT. Similar actions were already taken on August 20 and 21, when Russian machines were also detected in the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Norad emphasizes that the Russian aircraft did not violate the airspace of the United States or Canada, but was in the AdIZ zone, which covers an international airspace. In this area, there is a requirement to immediately identify all aircraft due to national security. Command points out that this type of activity of Russian machines is regular and is not treated as a direct threat.
Rare Iła-20 flights in the Alaska region
The American “Newsweek” points out that the US Air Force often monitor the flights of Russian Tu-95 bombers in this region, but the appearance of the IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft is less typical. A recent incident was also reminded with the participation of this machine over Poland. In June, the Russian Il-20 violated the Polish airspace, which the Polish Operational Command of the Armed Forces described as another case of testing the readiness of NATO systems.
A few days after this event, on June 27, German fighters intercepted Iła-20 in international airspace. The German newspaper “Bild” informed that Russian reconnaissance aircraft regularly start from Königsberg to collect data on NATO activities along the Baltic coast, especially in the region of Poland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. According to “Bild”, the interception of Iła-20 was already the ninth such operation in 2025.
Russian activities in Europe and the Baltic Sea
Russian reconnaissance flights near the borders of NATO countries are not a new phenomenon. Machines of this type, starting from Königsberg, regularly patrol areas along the Baltic coast, collecting information about the military activity of the alliance. They are particularly often observed in the regions of Poland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.
The military authorities of NATO countries emphasize that such activities are aimed at checking defense readiness and the reaction of security systems. The interceptions of Russian reconnaissance aircraft by NATO fighters are a routine procedure that is to ensure the safety of the airspace of the Member States.
