In the past, Russian aircraft of old types with inefficient navigation systems sometimes accidentally "hooked" the territory of the airspace of European countries, which caused an angry reaction from neighboring states and accusations of wanting to occupy the region, writes Izvestia columnist Anton Lavrov.
"For flights between Kaliningrad and the rest of Russia, there is only a small and winding air corridor over the Baltic. In some places, it narrows to just a few kilometers. Going beyond it automatically means violating the airspace of another state, " the author says.
According to him, Russia for several years "offers to settle the situation with flights over the Baltic and agree on clear rules of the game", which is not understood in Europe.
Lavrov recalls that in the coming years, dozens of fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II fighters will be permanently deployed in the Baltic region. "They will end up in the hands of a country as openly unfriendly to us as Poland," the author writes.
The observer notes that the strengthening of Poland will require a further increase in the capabilities of the air force and air defense of the Western Military District (ZVO). The author recalls that at present, in the Kaliningrad region, there are, in particular, S-400 "Triumph" systems and "Pantsir-S" complexes, as well as Su-35S fighters.
In November 2020, Izvestia, citing sources in the Russian Defense Ministry, reported that the first Su-57 fighter in early 2021 will receive the Western Military District, since Poland, Denmark and Norway, which are close to it, are armed with American fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
Ivan Potapov
