Polish MiG-29 Fighter Jets Intercept Russian Reconnaissance Planes In The Baltic Sea

UNSPLASH/Maciej Zielonka ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - MiG-29 fighters intercepted a Russian reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea for a second straight day on Thursday.

This was conveyed by Polish Defense Minister Wldyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz without providing further details.

Nearly two weeks ago, Poland warned Russian President Vladimir Putin against crossing its airspace to attend a summit in Hungary with US President Donald Trump.

Later Trump canceled plans for a meeting with Putin.

Poland says the country could be forced to issue an international arrest warrant if Putin does so.

The International Criminal Court (ICC), headquartered in The Hague, issued an arrest warrant against Putin in 2023, accusing him of war crimes by illegally deporting hundreds of children from Ukraine.

Russia does not recognize the ICC jurisdiction and denies the allegations.

"I cannot guarantee that an independent Polish court will not order the government to escort such a plane to hand over the suspect to court in The Hague," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski told Radio Rodzina.

The ICC order requires court member states to arrest Putin if he sets foot on their territory.

"I think the Russian side is aware of this. Therefore, if this summit will take place, hopefully with the participation of victims of aggression, the aircraft will use different routes," said Sikorski.

Hungary, whose Prime Minister Viktor Orban is in good relations with Russia, has said it will ensure Putin can enter his country to attend the summit and return to his country afterward.

However, to avoid traveling across Ukraine, the Russian delegation needs to fly across the airspace of at least one EU country.

All EU countries are ICC members, although Hungary is in the process of leaving the ICC.

Poland, a NATO member, is one of Kyiv's loyal supporters after Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine in 2022.