A joint press release featuring the president of Lithuania and Spain's prime minister was brashly interrupted as the Spanish Eurofighter Typhoon fighter jets they were using as a backdrop had to be scrambled to intercept encroaching Russian Su-24 Fencers over the Baltics.

Reportedly, the Russian aircraft were not on a flight plan, had their transponders off, and refused to acknowledge air traffic controller communication attempts. Russia stated the flight was performed in strict accordance with international rules of using airspace and without violation of any country’s borders.

The Spanish prime minister told reporters the incident perfectly demonstrated the need for their aircraft in the Baltics. The Baltic states; Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, are NATO members, but do not possess their own strike jets. They instead rely on regular NATO rotations to protect their airspace.

Like Ukraine, the Baltics are former Soviet states, and since the annexation of the Crimean peninsula the eastern European nations are justly concerned over Russian aggression in the region.