Putin Taunts the West in Latest WW3 Show of Strength: Russian SU-30 Warplanes Carrying Supersonic Missiles Intercepted Over the Baltic
Two of Vladimir Putin's war planes were intercepted by NATO over the Baltic Sea.
Sept. 18 2025, Published 4:35 p.m. ET
Russian warplanes carrying supersonic missiles were intercepted by NATO pilots over the Baltic Sea, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The incident marks the latest act of aggression from Vladimir Putin, who has been taunting President Donald Trump and European leaders with dramatic displays of Russia's military strength, specifically the country's nuclear capabilities, in "war games" exercises.
Swedish Air Force Pilots Intercept Russian Fighter Jets
The Swedish Air Force said they intercepted the two Russian fighter jets on September 17.
The Swedish Air Force announced the successful interception of two Russian SU-30 planes believed to be carrying KH-31 missiles over the Baltic Sea, which borders NATO members Sweden and Finland.
KH-31 missiles are advanced anti-ship weapons equipped with radar seekers to track down and destroy war vessels.
An X post from the Swedish Air Force stated: "The Swedish Air Force's incident readiness unit conducted operations on Wednesday in international airspace over the southern Baltic Sea.
"A JAS 39 Gripen identified a pair of Russian fighter aircraft of the SU-30 type. Subsequently, a Russian reconnaissance aircraft of the IL-20 type was escorted."
NATO Member Warns Air Force 'Is Always on Standby'
The NATO member warned Putin its air force 'is always on standby.'
As Putin, 72, continues to flex his nuclear arsenal, the NATO member concluded their post with a message to the despot: "The Swedish Air Force is always on standby."
The incident in the Baltic Sea comes days after Royal Air Force pilots were sent to Poland – and were later threatened by Putin's attack dog – to patrol the skies after an air threat was detected near the Ukraine border.
Days prior to the air threat, Poland shot down 23 Russian drones the despot sent into their airspace.
Vladimir Putin Applauds Russian Troops After 'War Games'
Poland recently shot down dozens of Russian drones Putin sent into the country's airspace.
Meanwhile, Putin has been playing toy solider. The 72-year-old was seen clad in camouflage on Tuesday to observe more military drills with Belarus.
Putin paid a surprise appearance to top war officials at the Mulino training ground in the Nizhny Novgorod region. He sat in on a briefing from his Defense Minister Andrey Belousov and inspected military equipment, including anti-drone weapons and radar systems.
Russian state TV reports claimed Putin announced around 100,000 soldiers and military personnel participated in the "war games," which saw drills carried out at 41 different training grounds and utilized 10,000 pieces of equipment.
The despot was said to note 247 war ships were used in the military exercise, including submarines and support vessels.
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Putin highlighted his military's achievements during the recent 'war games' with Belarus.
During his address, Putin reportedly doubled down on his commitment to defending Russia against any and all perceived enemies.
He said: "The purpose of the exercise is to work out all necessary elements for the unconditional protection of the sovereignty, territorial integrity and defense against any aggression targeted at the Union State (the official moniker for the Belarusian-Russian alliance)."
Russia's European neighbors – and the rest of the world for that matter – have braced for World War III ever since Putin ordered the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Fears the deranged leader would use nuclear weapons against the West steadily increased as NATO members backed Ukraine with financial support and aid, while Trump's peace talks fell flat.
