BREAKING: Hungarian Gripens scrambled due to Russian fighter jets
Tensions rose again between NATO and Russia on Thursday as five Russian military aircraft approached Danish airspace, prompting two Hungarian Gripens to scramble from the Siauliai Air Base in Lithuania, NATO reported. The formation included one Su-30, one Su-35, and three MiG-31s, flying northwest toward the Danish border.
Hungarian Gripens scrambled
The Hungarian Gripens are part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, with four aircraft stationed in the region on constant alert. The latest scramble demonstrates Hungary’s active role in strengthening NATO’s eastern flank, the organisation wrote in its X post.
Two ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º Gripen fighters on @NATO Baltic #AirPolicing scrambled on 25 Sep from Siauliai 🇱🇹 in response to a 🇷🇺 Su-30, Su-35 and 3x MiG-31 flying close to 🇱🇻 airspace
— NATO Air Command (@NATO_AIRCOM) September 25, 2025
ðŸ‡ðŸ‡º demonstrates the Alliance’s commitment to protecting and safeguarding the Baltics and the eastern flank pic.twitter.com/EMG035s0qm
Drones disrupt airports
denmaIn recent days, not only fighter jets but also drones have caused tension across Europe. Four Danish airports, including Aalborg and Esbjerg, were temporarily closed due to unidentified drones. Copenhagen Airport was previously shut down for almost four hours for similar reasons, Pénzcentrum reports.
Poland reported a drone incident in mid-September, when over 20 Russian drones entered its airspace near the Ukrainian border. The Polish air defence shot down four drones, and the situation prompted Warsaw to invoke NATO’s Article IV—a rare diplomatic measure for immediate consultations among member states.
In recent weeks, Russia repeatedly violated NATO airspace: drones appeared over Poland and Romania, while last Friday, three Russian fighter-bombers entered Estonia. NATO and its member states are maintaining heightened vigilance as these incidents pose serious threats to both civilian and military air traffic.