On Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced via social media another interception over the Baltic Sea of a Russian Il-20M imagery and electronic reconnaissance aircraft (NATO reporting name: Coot-A).
Photo: Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
“Russia regularly tests NATO’s eastern flank. Today, once again, over the Baltic Sea.
A Russian Il-20 was intercepted by our fighter aircraft approximately 40 km off the Polish coast.
These are not isolated incidents, but part of sustained pressure. Polish airspace remains under constant surveillance, and the Polish Armed Forces remain ready!”
Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz
Earlier that same day, the Russian aircraft had been intercepted by two C.15/CE.15 Hornet/EF-18AM fighters, the local designation for the F-18A+/B+ Hornet, of the Spanish Air and Space Force (Ejército del Aire y del Espacio). The aircraft took off from Ämari Air Base in Estonia as part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission.
This was the eleventh interception of an Il-20M by Polish military aviation this year and the second this month. A similar incident occurred on September 3, also about 40 km off the coast, specifically near Ustka.
Three interceptions took place in August: on August 31, 30 km north of Łeba; on August 4, 56 km from Koszalin; and on August 3, 60 km northwest of Łeba.
On July 31, the aircraft appeared north of Kołobrzeg, while on July 16 it was intercepted 30 km north of Jastrzębia Góra together with a Su-30SM multirole fighter, after two Su-30SM2 aircraft had been intercepted the previous day. On July 14, an Il-20M attempted to enter Polish airspace and was also intercepted.
An earlier interception of an Il-20M near Polish airspace took place on May 13. On April 24, a pair of F-16s intercepted two Su-30s over the Baltic Sea. Another Il-20M was intercepted on April 9, also by Polish F-16 Jastrząb fighters, and on March 16 by MiG-29s.
Russian activity this year has been unusually intense. By comparison, three interceptions took place last year, on October 29, 30, and 31, while in 2024 there were also three: one by an F-16 Jastrząb on August 12, and two involving MiG-29 and F-16 fighters on March 3 and 6.
This activity is not limited to Poland. On August 20 this year, a Russian aircraft of this type violated Finnish airspace.
The Il-20M is a specialized variant of the Il-18 aircraft, hence its alternative designation Il-18D-36 Bizon, designed for imagery intelligence, communications intelligence (COMINT), and electronic intelligence (ELINT), including the interception of electromagnetic emissions. It is equipped with a broad suite of A-87P LOROP, Romb-4, and Vishnya electro-optical and intelligence sensors, as well as the Igla-1 side-looking airborne radar (SLAR) with a phased-array antenna and satellite communications systems for real-time data transmission. The Il-20M prototype made its first flight in March 1968. Twenty aircraft were produced, of which 14 remain in service with the Russian Aerospace Forces (VKS).
Rosja regularnie testuje wschodnią flankę NATO. Dziś znów nad Bałtykiem.
Rosyjski Ił-20 został przechwycony przez nasze myśliwce ok. 40 km od polskiego wybrzeża.
To nie pojedyncze incydenty, ale element stałej presji. Polskie niebo jest pod stałym nadzorem, a Wojsko Polskie… pic.twitter.com/8o2lVivqWa
— Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz (@KosiniakKamysz) September 22, 2026
First ever Alpha scramble ✈️🚨
After graduating from the Air Academy in 2025, Lieutenant Luis flew his first Alpha scramble yesterday from Ämari Air Base, Estonia 🇪🇪
Two @EjercitoAire 🇪🇸 F-18s responded to a Russian 🇷🇺 Il-20M COOT-A intelligence-gathering aircraft flying over… pic.twitter.com/Gwf1JWp4tj
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) September 22, 2026
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