Air forces from six North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) countries scrambled together on Monday to track two nuclear-capable Russian supersonic bombers and roughly 10 fighter escorts that flew without transponders or filed flight plans over the Baltic Sea.

The simultaneous response from France, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark, and Romania came while Western attention stayed fixed on US-Iran talks and the war in the Middle East.

The Russian formation was led by two Tu-22M3 'Backfire' strategic bombers.

Russian MOD video of VKS Tu-22M3 long-range bombers flight over the Baltic Sea. A Kh-32 missile can be seen under the belly of the Backfire & VKS Su-35S fighters as well as a F-35 can also be seen in the video.pic.twitter.com/sCqjvDSlb4

French Rafales armed with air-to-air missiles launched from Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania under NATO's Baltic Air Policing mission. Two-man Rafale crews, already suited up and on standby, raced to their hangars and lifted off within minutes, an Associated Press reporter on the base witnessed.

📍Lituanie | Les Rafale 🇫🇷 déployés dans le cadre de Baltic Air Policing sont intervenus à deux reprises le même jour sous très court préavis✅ Réactivité maximale pour la protection du territoire de l’Alliance✈️ Première intervention :➡️ Prise en charge et escorte d’un…pic.twitter.com/spBtJgfFel

Swedish JAS 39 Gripens took over north-east of Gotland shortly after 10 a.m. local time before handing off to a Danish F-35A near the island of Bornholm, the Swedish Armed Forces said.

❗️Swedish JAS 39 Gripen fighters and Danish F-35A fighters intercepted Russian Tu-22M3 bomber-missile carriers escorted by Su-35S/30 fighters over the Baltic Sea.pic.twitter.com/NRIebwEKt4

The Russian strike package included about 10 Su-30 and Su-35 fighters that rotated escort duty for the two bombers, which lifted off from Olenya Air Base in western Russia. At least one Tu-22M3 was photographed carrying a live Kh-32 anti-ship cruise missile under its fuselage.

Swedish QRA fighter jets intercepted two Russian Tu-22M3 strategic bombers over the Baltic Sea today. The bombers were escorted by two Russian fighter jets, and the interception was coordinated with NATO allies. 📸 Swedish Air Forcepic.twitter.com/lI2zek0nM4

Source: International Business Times UK