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A top military official in Sweden has announced that a Russian military aircraft breached Swedish airspace east of Gotland on Friday.
On Saturday, the commander of Sweden’s air force, Jonas Wikman, revealed on social media platform X that a Russian Su-24 bomber violated Swedish airspace. “The Russian act is unacceptable and shows a lack of respect for our territorial integrity,” Wikman stated.
The incident involved a Russian Su-24 bomber entering the strategically significant Baltic Sea area near Gotland, only retreating after Sweden deployed two JAS-39 Gripen fighter jets. According to the Swedish military, the breach occurred just three months after Sweden joined NATO, ending two centuries of military neutrality.
Detailing the events, the Swedish Armed Forces reported that on Friday afternoon, the Swedish air combat command warned the Russian aircraft verbally when it neared Gotland’s southern tip. When the aircraft did not change its course, it was subsequently escorted out of Swedish airspace by the Gripen jets. The military characterized the violation as brief but emphasized the severity of the incursion.
The last similar incident of a violation of Swedish airspace occurred in March 2022, when Swedish fighters intercepted four Russian jets over Gotland.
