On Thursday, April 9, 2026, the Armed Forces Operational Command (DO RSZ) announced on social media that a pair of Polish F-16 Jastrząb multirole fighters on quick reaction alert had intercepted, visually identified, and escorted a Russian Il-20M imagery and signals intelligence aircraft.
Photo: DO RSZ
“The security of the airspace is one of the priorities of the Polish Armed Forces. Every day, pilots of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland remain vigilant and on standby to ensure the protection of Polish skies.
On April 8, 2026, a pair of F-16 fighters on quick reaction alert from the Polish Air Force successfully intercepted, visually identified, and escorted out of their area of responsibility an aircraft of the Russian Federation flying over the Baltic Sea. The Polish fighters intercepted an Il-20 conducting a reconnaissance mission in international airspace without a filed flight plan and with its transponder switched off. There was no violation of Polish airspace.
Aircraft interceptions are not a demonstration of force, but one of the basic tools for ensuring real control over a state’s airspace. Their purpose is the rapid identification of aircraft that do not respond to calls from air traffic services, operate without the required flight plan, or violate applicable rules.
The interception procedure makes it possible to immediately determine the nature of the flight, assess any potential threat, and, if necessary, take corrective action, such as changing the aircraft’s course or directing it to land. These measures help reduce the risk of incidents and ensure the safety of both civil air traffic and critical infrastructure.
Protecting Polish airspace is a responsible mission carried out by soldiers of the Polish Armed Forces, who, through their professionalism and high operational readiness, ensure the country’s security and stand ready to respond immediately to any threat.”
Armed Forces Operational Command
Several minutes earlier, the interception of the same Russian aircraft had been reported on social media by NATO Allied Air Command (AIRCOM) and the French Air and Space Force (Armée de l’Air et de l’Espace). A pair of French Dassault Rafale B multirole fighters on quick reaction alert took off from Lithuania’s 1st Air Base in Šiauliai, intercepting the intruder and escorting it along the coasts of Lithuania and Latvia as it headed north.
Photo: French Air and Space Force
It is worth adding that recently, on March 16 of this year, a pair of Polish MiG-29s intercepted the same aircraft, bearing registration number RF-93611. Previous interceptions of a Russian Il-20M occurred three times, on October 29, 30, and 31, 2025. That aircraft was the example bearing registration number RF-95671. The RF-93611 discussed here had already attracted the attention of the Air Force in 2024, when it was intercepted by an F-16 Jastrząb on August 12 and by MiG-29s and F-16s on March 3 and 6.
The Il-20M (NATO reporting name: Coot-A) is a specialized version of the Il-18 aircraft (hence its alternative designation, Il-18D-36 Bizon), intended for imagery intelligence, communications intelligence (COMINT), and electronic intelligence (ELINT), that is, the interception of electromagnetic signal emissions. It is equipped with a wide range of A-87P LOROP, Romb 4, and Vishnya optoelectronic sensors, as well as an Igla-1 phased-array side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) and satellite communication systems for real-time information transfer. The Il-20M prototype first flew in March 1968. Twenty aircraft were built, of which 14 remain in service with the Aerospace Forces (VKS).
Bezpieczeństwo przestrzeni powietrznej to jeden z priorytetów #WojskoPolskie. Każdego dnia piloci Sił Zbrojnych RP czuwają i są w gotowości, aby zapewnić ochronę polskiego nieba.
8 kwietnia 2026 roku para dyżurna myśliwców F-16 🇵🇱Sił Powietrznych dokonała skutecznego… pic.twitter.com/VQdyGLJOC5
— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) April 9, 2026
📍Lituanie | Intervention sous très court préavis pour les Rafale 🇫🇷 déployés dans le cadre de Baltic Air Policing
🎯 Réactivité maximale pour la protection du territoire de l’Alliance
⚡️ Prise en charge et escorte d’un avion de reconnaissance russe IL-20 dans le sud de la… https://t.co/fIfvIbkPcI pic.twitter.com/bThGVZSriy
— Armée française – Opérations militaires (@EtatMajorFR) April 9, 2026
UPDATE
As reported, another interception of an Il-20M took place on Thursday:
“In the evening, a pair of our F-16 aircraft on quick reaction alert carried out another interception this week of a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft operating over the Baltic Sea. The provocative actions of the Russian Federation are testing our air defense systems. Thanks to the constant combat readiness of our pilots, soldiers, and ground crews, Polish skies remain secure. The Polish Armed Forces stand ready every day to respond immediately and protect the airspace.”
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
“This evening, a pair of F-16 fighters on quick reaction alert once again intercepted over the Baltic Sea a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft flying in international airspace without a filed flight plan and with its transponder switched off.
Such provocative actions by the Russian Federation do not go unanswered – we remain vigilant, we respond, and we maintain constant readiness to protect Polish airspace.”
Armed Forces Operational Command
Dziś wieczorem para dyżurna myśliwców F-16 🇵🇱 ponownie przechwyciła nad Morzem Bałtyckim rosyjski samolot rozpoznawczy Ił-20, który wykonywał lot w międzynarodowej przestrzeni powietrznej bez złożonego planu lotu i z wyłączonym transponderem.
Tego typu prowokacyjne działania… https://t.co/IU6BuWyUpJ
— Dowództwo Operacyjne RSZ (@DowOperSZ) April 9, 2026
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