NATO jets scrambled to intercept Russian spyplane as Kremlin threatens ‘direct' response to military buildup on border
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
GERMAN fighter jets were dramatically scrambled to intercept a Russian spy plane over the Baltic Sea.
It came just hours before the Kremlin warned of a 'direct' response to NATO's growing presence on its doorstep.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
8
German fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian Il-20 spy plane over the Baltic Sea (stock picture)
Credit: AP:Associated Press
8
It came after Putin's Kremlin threatened a 'direct' response to military buildup on border
Credit: Getty
8
Two Eurofighters (stock picture) roared into action after NATO radar spotted the Russian spy plane
Credit: PA
8
Two Eurofighters roared into action on Friday after NATO radar spotted a Russian Il-20 with its transponder switched off.
The plane had taken off from Kaliningrad and was heading west toward Poland and Germany, according to Bild and The Kyiv Independent.
Germany's quick reaction team made visual contact about 100km off the coast.
They snapped a photo before the lumbering Russian aircraft turned north, skirting just 40km from the Baltic island of Usedom but staying out of German airspace.
It's the ninth time this year German jets have been scrambled to shadow Moscow's snoopers.
NATO says the Kremlin is using these flights to test alliance defences and gather intel on troop positions as the Ukraine war drags on.
The airborne drama came as Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov slammed Estonia's willingness to host NATO aircraft armed with nuclear weapons, branding it a 'direct' danger to Moscow.
'Directly, of course,' he said, when asked if such a move posed a threat, Russian news agency TASS reported.
Peskov sneered that Baltic leaders often make 'absurd' statements, and added icy relations could scarcely get any worse: 'It is very difficult to do anything worse.'
Humiliation for Putin as £37m jets destroyed in strike before vengeful tyrant kills two in blitz on Ukraine tower block
Tallinn's Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur had earlier revealed Estonia is ready to welcome NATO jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear bombs — pointing to recent visits by US F-35s that could soon be guarding the tiny nation's skies again.
It comes amid mounting alarm that Vladimir Putin is readying Russia for a showdown with NATO itself.
Bruno Kahl, head of Germany's foreign intelligence service, recently warned 'Ukraine is only a step on the journey westward,' adding: 'We have intelligence showing it.'
NATO chief Mark Rutte piled on the pressure, saying the alliance must brace for the possibility of a Russian attack by 2030.
Putin's forces have already begun amassing hardware and troops close to Finland, just 35 miles from the border, according to satellite snaps showing activity at four Russian bases — Kamenka, Petrozavodsk, Severomorsk-2 and Olenya.
Defence experts fear Moscow may attempt to provoke NATO into a limited clash, testing the alliance's Article 5 pledge of mutual defence without triggering full-scale war.
Meanwhile on the battlefield, Putin's summer push in Ukraine is grinding on at a snail's pace, with Kyiv's fierce drone attacks bogging down Russian advances.
After 448 days of fighting in Chasiv Yar in Donetsk, Moscow's troops reportedly control just half the city — clawing back land at a rate so slow that even snails would outpace them.
But with an estimated 125,000 Russian soldiers massing along Ukraine's Sumy and Kharkiv borders, Kyiv is bracing for what could be Putin's last big gamble to seize ground before negotiating a ceasefire.
Ukrainian commander-in-chief Oleksandr Syrsky said his forces had managed to pin down a 50,000-strong Russian assault near Sumy, stabilising the lines for now.
8
Bruno Kahl, head of Berlin's Federal Intelligence Service, said his team have intel suggesting Russia is plotting to test the resolve of Nato in the coming years
Credit: Alamy
8
A Russian drone strike on Kyiv overnight left dozens of residential buildings crumbling
Credit: AP
8
Ukraine is often left battling Putin's continued drone attacks
Credit: Getty
Back in Germany, Chancellor Friedrich Merz poured more cold water on any thaw with Moscow, telling Süddeutsche Zeitung he won't pick up the phone to Putin given Russia's relentless bombing of Ukraine.
His predecessor Olaf Scholz had broken ranks last year by speaking with the Kremlin tyrant — but Merz insisted the time for friendly calls is over.
As Putin's bombers continue to pound Kyiv and Odesa with hundreds of drones and missiles every night, NATO eyes remain fixed on the Baltic and beyond — wary that Moscow's next gambit could spark the very clash the world fears most.
It comes after Ukraine landed another humiliating blow on Vlad's war machine — blitzing two of Russia's prized Su-34 fighter jets in a daring long-range drone strike.
Kyiv's forces targeted the Marinovka military airfield in the Volgograd region, flying drones 200 miles to smash four of the £37million jets.
Two were destroyed outright, while the other pair were damaged, sending pro-war Russian Telegram channels into meltdown over the 'multi-billion dollar' losses.
Furious Kremlin cheerleaders raged the attack 'could and should have been prevented.'
Ukraine's SBU boasted the strike sparked a fire in critical infrastructure used to prep and repair Russian warplanes.
Putin lashed out in brutal revenge. Overnight, Russia flattened a 21-storey tower block in Odesa, killing a married couple and wounding at least 14 others — including three children.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Putin is the number one threat to UK – we must apply pressure or he'll come marching into Europe, ex-defence chief warns
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) RUSSIA'S economy must be drained to stop bloodthirsty Vladimir Putin invading other countries, an ex-defence minister has warned. Sir Liam Fox argued seizing Moscow's assets in Europe and allowing oligarchs to invest in the continent would help paralyse the tyrant's war fund. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 6 Smoke and fire rise during a Russian strike on Kyiv Credit: Reuters 6 A rescue worker looks for survivors in the rubble of a multi-storey residential house destroyed by a Russian strike Credit: AP 6 Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Russia on June 20 Credit: Getty 6 The former trade secretary insisted there is no other way to deal with "FSB thug" Putin - who is hellbent on recreating the Soviet Union "by all means". He told The Sun: "I don't think there is a military solution to what's happening in Ukraine. But I think there is a solution in the longer term." Sir Fox, who served as the UK's defence minister under ex-PM David Cameron, said Putin has "absolutely crippled" his nation's economy - which could present an ideal opportunity. The Kremlin's bloated military spending after more than three years of bloodshed in Ukraine has left Russia "on the brink" of recession, its economy minister Maxim Reshetnikov warned. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas revealed this month how Russia is spending more on defence than the EU's 27 nations combined. "That comes, however, at a cost in the medium to long term," Sir Fox said. "First of all, it's much easier to transform an economy from a peace economy into a war economy than vice versa. It requires a great deal of money." It comes as a Ukrainian government source this week warned The Sun that Putin could be plotting to exploit the crisis in the Middle East to launch an attack on Nato. Sir Fox and fellow ex-defence chief Penny Mordant both called for more to be done to bolster the UK's defences to diminish the threat posed by Vlad. They warned Putin is the "number one threat" to Britain - and could jeopardise the UK's security with sabotage attacks. Putin has lost a MILLION men - Ukraine has killed so many it is running out of ammo Ms Mordaunt, who was defence secretary during Theresa May's premiership, urged the UK to turn up the heat on the tyrant. She told The Sun: "You need to be wide-eyed about what Putin is trying to achieve. "But you also need to put pressure on him. It's his war. It's always been his war to end. "I applaud what the president [Trump] has been doing to try and bring the conditions for it to come to an end about. "But we need to apply that pressure." Former treasury commissioner Sir Fox said the only way to stop the warmongering dictator from unleashing his forces on other nations is to let Russia's economy bleed. Putin's invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago triggered a slew of sanctions from the West - and near-total departure of Western companies from the sprawling nation. 'UK must bolster defence or pay will blood of its people', Penny Mordaunt warns by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) BRITAIN will pay with the blood of its people if more money isn't spent to bolster the UK's defence, Penny Mordaunt has warned. The ex-defence secretary has urged the government to "wake up" and fund the UK's security properly before it's too late. Former Navy reservist Mordaunt argued that Britain is "emboldening our enemies" if we fail to invest in other forms of deterrence. She warned the consequences with be "incalculably grave" if the government does not open up the treasury purse. Ms Mordaunt told The Sun: "I'm confident that if you prepare for war, you invest in it, you train for it, then conflicts don't start. "Because your foes know it is not worth them doing that. They're going to lose. "The consequences of retaliation against them are too great." READ MORE HERE Sir Fox said: "We didn't win the Cold War because we had more or better weapons than the Russians. "It's because we had bigger and stronger economies and could outspend them. And this is what we need to do now. "We need to ensure that the Russian economy pays the price for Putin's policies. Sadly, that means the Russian people, ultimately. "But our job is to make sure that that war economy is weakened and that we diminish his ability to wage war elsewhere. So we need to ensure that Russia doesn't have the money." Sir Fox believes this would be best achieved by reversing the policy stopping Russian oligarchs from investing in Europe. This, he said, will draw more money out of Russia. "I think we should also seize Russian assets in Europe," the former doctor added. "The Russian assets sitting in Europe are more than the combined money that Europe and America have given to Ukraine so far. "And I think that it's perfectly reasonable that Russia pays the price for its war making. And you can view it as reparations for Ukraine. 6 "So the principle is there. And I think in the long term we need to try to make sure that Russia is not able to afford to be able to wage war. "It's quite clear that Putin can't be accommodated. "There is no way to deal with an FSB thug who is a hardline ideologue who hates the West and wants to recreate the Soviet Union by all means including violence." It comes after a top Ukrainian government source warned Putin could hit Europe with a never-seen-before-attack. The insider said the tyrant could exploit the crisis in the Middle East while the West's eyes are turned to the embattled region. Cunning Vlad may even attempt to mimic Ukraine's elaborate Spiderweb operation that blitzed strategic targets inside Russia. The source told The Sun: "The West should be prepared that the Spiderweb operation may be reconfigured and deployed by Russia as a hybrid attack on any Nato Eastern flank nation. "That would be the major Article 5 test that the Alliance has not experienced yet."
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Putin is the number one threat to UK – we must apply pressure or he'll come marching into Europe, ex-defence chief warns
RUSSIA'S economy must be drained to stop bloodthirsty Vladimir Putin invading other countries, an ex-defence minister has warned. Sir Liam Fox argued seizing Moscow 's assets in Europe and allowing oligarchs to invest in the continent would help paralyse the tyrant's war fund. 3 3 3 The former trade secretary insisted there is no other way to deal with "FSB thug" Putin - who is hellbent on recreating the Soviet Union "by all means". He told The Sun: "I don't think there is a military solution to what's happening in Ukraine. But I think there is a solution in the longer term." Sir Fox, who served as the UK's defence minister under ex-PM David Cameron, said Putin has "absolutely crippled" his nation's economy - which could present an ideal opportunity. The Kremlin's bloated military spending after more than three years of bloodshed in Ukraine has left Russia"on the brink" of recession, its economy minister Maxim Reshetnikov warned. EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas revealed this month how Russia is spending more on defence than the EU's 27 nations combined. "That comes, however, at a cost in the medium to long term," Sir Fox said. "First of all, it's much easier to transform an economy from a peace economy into a war economy than vice versa. It requires a great deal of money." It comes as a Ukrainian government source this week warned The Sun that Putin could be plotting to exploit the crisis in the Middle East to launch an attack on Nato. Sir Fox and fellow ex-defence chief Penny Mordant both called for more to be done to bolster the UK's defences to diminish the threat posed by Vlad. They warned Putin is the "number one threat" to Britain - and could jeopardise the UK's security with sabotage attacks. Putin has lost a MILLION men - Ukraine has killed so many it is running out of ammo Ms Mordaunt, who was defence secretary during Theresa May's premiership, urged the UK to turn up the heat on the tyrant. She told The Sun: "You need to be wide-eyed about what Putin is trying to achieve. "But you also need to put pressure on him. It's his war. It's always been his war to end. "I applaud what the president [Trump] has been doing to try and bring the conditions for it to come to an end about. "But we need to apply that pressure." Former treasury commissioner Sir Fox said the only way to stop the warmongering dictator from unleashing his forces on other nations is to let Russia's economy bleed. Putin's invasion of Ukraine more than three years ago triggered a slew of sanctions from the West - and near-total departure of Western companies from the sprawling nation. by Katie Davis, Chief Foreign Reporter (Digital) BRITAIN will pay with the blood of its people if more money isn't spent to bolster the UK's defence, Penny Mordaunt has warned. The ex-defence secretary has urged the government to "wake up" and fund the UK 's security properly before it's too late. Former Navy reservist Mordaunt argued that Britain is "emboldening our enemies" if we fail to invest in other forms of deterrence. She warned the consequences with be "incalculably grave" if the government does not open up the treasury purse. Ms Mordaunt told The Sun: "I'm confident that if you prepare for war, you invest in it, you train for it, then conflicts don't start. "Because your foes know it is not worth them doing that. They're going to lose. "The consequences of retaliation against them are too great." Sir Fox said: "We didn't win the Cold War because we had more or better weapons than the Russians. "It's because we had bigger and stronger economies and could outspend them. And this is what we need to do now. "We need to ensure that the Russian economy pays the price for Putin's policies. Sadly, that means the Russian people, ultimately. "But our job is to make sure that that war economy is weakened and that we diminish his ability to wage war elsewhere. So we need to ensure that Russia doesn't have the money." Sir Fox believes this would be best achieved by reversing the policy stopping Russian oligarchs from investing in Europe. This, he said, will draw more money out of Russia. "I think we should also seize Russian assets in Europe," the former doctor added. "The Russian assets sitting in Europe are more than the combined money that Europe and America have given to Ukraine so far. "And I think that it's perfectly reasonable that Russia pays the price for its war making. And you can view it as reparations for Ukraine. "So the principle is there. And I think in the long term we need to try to make sure that Russia is not able to afford to be able to wage war. "It's quite clear that Putin can't be accommodated. "There is no way to deal with an FSB thug who is a hardline ideologue who hates the West and wants to recreate the Soviet Union by all means including violence." It comes after a top Ukrainian government source warned Putin could hit Europe with a never-seen-before-attack. The insider said the tyrant could exploit the crisis in the Middle East while the West's eyes are turned to the embattled region. Cunning Vlad may even attempt to mimic Ukraine's elaborate Spiderweb operation that blitzed strategic targets inside Russia. The source told The Sun: "The West should be prepared that the Spiderweb operation may be reconfigured and deployed by Russia as a hybrid attack on any Nato Eastern flank nation. "That would be the major Article 5 test that the Alliance has not experienced yet."
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
NATO warplanes scrambled as Russia shoots down West's F-16 fighter jet in Ukraine onslaught
More than 500 missiles were launched to down the supersonic fighter. Warplanes have been scrambled by NATO after Russia used hundreds of missiles to shoot down a Ukrainian F-16 fighter jet given to the country by the West. The soviet state launched more than 500 missiles at the supersonic fighter, resulting in the loss of a 'hero' pilot amid a desperate operation to counter the onslaught from Vladimir Putin's forces. Pilot Lt-Col Maksym Ustimenko, born in 1993, shot down seven air targets using all his weapons before he was hit. Poland's operational command announced that NATO fighters were scrambled because of the intensity of Russian onslaught on Ukraine. A statement said: "Due to the attack by the Russian Federation carrying out strikes on objects located in the territory of Ukraine, Polish and allied aviation has begun operating in our airspace." The Mirror reports it added: "The Operational Commander of the [armed forces] has activated all available forces and resources at his disposal. "The on-duty fighter pairs have been scrambled, and the ground-based air defence and radar reconnaissance systems have reached the highest state of readiness. "The steps taken are aimed at ensuring security in the areas bordering the threatened areas." The Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk was hit as apocalyptic footage showed a former oil refinery up in flames. The city was attacked simultaneously by Putin's forces with cruise missiles, Kinzhal - which translates as "Our Dagger" - hypersonic missiles, and Iranian-designed Shahed attack drones. It was the most powerful onslaught against the city since the start of the war. The attacks were across the country and amounted to one of the heaviest bombardments of the three year conflict. A missile strike on Zaporizhzhia left an industrial facility on fire. 'A production facility of one of the enterprises was damaged,' said Ivan Fedorov, head of the regional military administration. Mykolaiv and Donetsk region were also hit. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The NATO defence moves comes after the Russians targeted Lviv in western Ukraine. Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said Russian forces attempted to strike critical infrastructure, but no civilians or residential buildings were affected. The Ukrainian air force said Russia had unleashed 537 missiles and drones including 477 Hashed drones. Four Kinzhal and seven Iskander-M/KN-23 ballistic missiles were fired at Ukraine. The blitzkrieg also included 41 Kh-101/Iskander-K cruise missiles. It comes after Russia issued a new threat against NATO after one of Britain's allies - and Russia's neighbour - said it was "ready" to host RAF warplanes that can carry tactical nuclear bombs. In the security defence review unveiled this week by Keir Starmer, it was announced the RAF will be equipped with twelve new F-35. A fifth-generation aircraft by 2030, which will be "available to fly NATO's nuclear mission in a crisis". Estonia's defence minister Hanno Pevkur said today that his country would "naturally" be prepared to host some of the jets - sparking a furious reaction from Vladimir Putin's spokesman, who was asked if that would be perceived as a threat to Moscow.
