Norway scrambles fighter jets after Russian aircraft detected near Finnmark

Norwegian jets respond to Russian military flights

The Norwegian Armed Forces scrambled fighter jets for two consecutive days after detecting Russian military aircraft flying in international airspace near northern Norway.

Officials said their monitoring systems spotted a Ilyushin Il‑20M operating off the coast of Finnmark on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In response, the Lockheed Martin F‑35 Lightning II jets from Evenes Air Station quickly took off. The fighter aircraft then identified and followed the Russian plane while it remained in international airspace.

Aircraft tracked during routine monitoring

According to the Norwegian military, the Russian aircraft flew with its transponder switched off, which means it did not broadcast its identification signal. Nevertheless, Norwegian radar and sensors still detected the plane and tracked its movement.

Officials explained that two Norwegian F-35 fighter jets were already on standby at Evenes Air Station. Therefore, they responded quickly once the aircraft approached the region.

Aircraft returned toward Russian territory

After Norwegian fighters identified the plane, the Russian aircraft continued flying north from the island of Soroya before heading back toward the Kola Peninsula.

The Norwegian Armed Forces said the aircraft stayed within international airspace during the entire incident.

Military exercise underway in northern Norway

Military officials added that such encounters are not unusual, especially during large-scale military drills. The incidents occurred while Norway hosts the major military exercise Cold Response in northern parts of the country.

According to the armed forces, aircraft activity in the region typically increases during major exercises, so interceptions like these are expected.
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