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Sweden Scrambles Fighters to Intercept Russian Su-35s and Tu-22M Bomber Over Baltic Sea
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Sweden’s Armed Forces detected and monitored a group of Russian military aircraft over the Baltic Sea, prompting the launch of Swedish Air Force quick reaction alert fighters, according to an official statement on January 23.
The formation included two Russian Su-35S fighter jets and one Tu-22M3 long-range bomber, which were identified by Sweden’s incident readiness forces as they operated in international airspace near Swedish territory.
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Swedish fighter aircraft were scrambled to visually identify and shadow the Russian planes, a standard procedure designed to assert presence and ensure close monitoring of military activity in the region.
“Yesterday, Swedish incident readiness identified two Russian Su-35S fighter aircraft and one Russian Tu-22M bomber over the Baltic Sea,” the Swedish Armed Forces said in a statement.
Under gårdagen identifierade den svenska incidentberedskapen två ryska stridsflyg av typen Su-35S och ett ryskt bombflyg av typen Tu-22M över Östersjön. Svenskt stridsflyg markerade närvaro och säkerställde att flygrörelser i vårt närområde inte går förbi obemärkt. #NATO #svfm pic.twitter.com/7LCvOjfVEf
— Försvarsmakten (@Forsvarsmakten) January 23, 2026
“Swedish fighter aircraft marked presence and ensured that flight movements in our vicinity do not pass unnoticed.”
The encounter took place entirely in international airspace, and Swedish authorities reported no violations of national airspace. Still, the Baltic Sea has become a focal point for military aviation activity since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Sweden routinely deploys fighter aircraft under NATO-standard air policing procedures to identify and track foreign military aircraft operating close to its borders.
The Su-35S is a multirole fighter designed for air-superiority missions, while the Tu-22M3 is a long-range bomber capable of carrying cruise missiles and anti-ship weapons. Such bomber-and-fighter formations are commonly used by Russia during long-range patrols and presence flights near NATO members and partner countries.
Images released by the Swedish military show Swedish fighters flying alongside the Russian aircraft at altitude, confirming identification and maintaining situational awareness. The Armed Forces did not specify which Swedish aircraft type was used in the interception, citing routine operational security practices.
Since joining NATO in 2024, Sweden’s Air Force has been integrated into the alliance’s air and missile defense framework in Northern Europe. Its incident readiness missions are coordinated with NATO partners to maintain airspace security across the Baltic region.
The Swedish Armed Forces said the purpose of the response was to demonstrate presence and ensure continuous monitoring of military activity near Swedish territory. No escalation was reported during the encounter, and the Russian aircraft eventually departed the area.
Earlier, Japan detected military activity involving Russian and Chinese bombers flying near Japanese airspace. The bombers conducted joint flights, with two Russian Tu-95 bombers, capable of carrying nuclear weapons, flying from the Sea of Japan to the Tsushima Strait. There, they met up with two Chinese H-6 bombers, which are capable of carrying long-range missiles, in the East China Sea.
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-111f0e5095e02c02446ffed57bfb0ab1.jpeg "Photo of Roman Kohanets")
