NATO intercepts of Russian aircraft return to pre-Ukrainian war levels

A UK F-35B flying from HMS Queen Elizabeth intercepted a Russian Ilyushin Il-22 Coot special mission aircraft on 6 October. NATO has reported a drop in alliance interceptions of Russian military aircraft for 2023 compared with the spike of 2022, with numbers now at about the same level as before the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. (Royal Norwegian Air Force)

The number of NATO intercepts of Russian military aircraft fell in 2023 to approximately the same levels as before the war in Ukraine was launched in early 2022.

Figures released by the alliance on 29 December show that for 2023 NATO conducted “well over 300” interceptions of Russian military aircraft approaching member state airspace (each interception may involve multiple Russian aircraft). This was a marked decline from the 570 times reported for 2022, and more in line with the 290 times reported for 2021 and the 350 times reported for 2020.