German and British warplanes intercepted Russian Air Force aircraft between St. Petersburg and Kaliningrad as part of a patrol of Estonian airspace.
According to the NATO Air Command, Allied fighters carried out a routine interception of Il-78 and An-148 aircraft. The flight was carried out in Alpha mode and was the first operation of its kind in which British and German aircraft defended Estonia.
It is known that Russian Air Force Il-78 refueling plane failed to get in contact with Estonian controllers while en-route from St. Petersburg to Kaliningrad. Fighters, including a British Typhoon, escorted the plane and then flew to intercept the Russian carrier An-148, which was also passing through Estonian airspace.