Sweden put its air force on alert twice in one day due to the activity of Russian military aircraft in the Baltic Sea region. According to the Swedish Armed Forces, both incidents occurred on Friday. Russian aircraft were spotted in the southern and northern parts of the Baltic Sea near Swedish airspace, after which JAS 39 Gripen fighters were scrambled. The military emphasizes that the borders of Swedish airspace were not violated. Nevertheless, such sorties are considered a standard response measure to monitor the situation and identify aerial targets. Such interceptions occur regularly in the region; however, following Sweden's accession to NATO, attention to such incidents has noticeably increased both domestically and among alliance partners. In a statement from the Swedish Armed Forces, it is noted that Russia's actions are viewed as part of a recurring pattern of behavior that raises concerns regarding regional security. For ordinary residents, such events do not signify an immediate threat. However, they illustrate how tense the situation remains in the Baltic region, where NATO countries and Russia regularly monitor each other's activities in the air and at sea. Sweden officially became a NATO member in March 2024, marking the end of its historical policy of military neutrality, which it had adhered to for decades. Since then, security issues in the Baltic Sea have gained even greater importance for the country, and such fighter sorties have become one of the elements of ongoing monitoring of the situation in the region. Although there were no violations of Swedish airspace this time, the incident once again demonstrated the high level of military activity in the Baltic Sea and Sweden's readiness to respond promptly to such situations. Under fredagen genomförde den svenska incidentberedskapen två insatser med JAS 39 Gripen för att möta ryska stridsflyg i Östersjön nära svenskt luftrum. Incidenterna involverade två ryska stridsflyg av typen Su-24 Fencer och Su-34 Fullback. pic.twitter.com/fsPojBxzWY— Försvarsmakten (@Forsvarsmakten) June 13, 2026