Sweden accuses Russian military plane of violating airspace

In a statement released by the Swedish Ministry of Defense yesterday (April 30), a Russian military AN-30 propeller plane flew from the area east of Bornholm island, under Danish sovereignty, and headed straight on the Swedish side.

“In a short time, the plane above violated Swedish airspace. After that, the plane left,” the Swedish Defense Ministry said, and published a photo of the AN-30 with the Russian flag painted on the rear of the plane.

“Invading Swedish airspace is completely unacceptable. This action is unprofessional, and very inappropriate in the current general security situation. Sweden’s sovereignty must always be respected,” said Swedish Defense Minister Peter Hultqvist.

According to the AP news agency, the incident occurred in the context of two Nordic countries, Sweden and Finland, recently considering the issue of joining the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

Tuan Tran