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NATO holds air exercise near Russia’s Kaliningrad region
Planned operation unrelated to Russian air-force activity, say Polish commanders
Şeyma Erkul Dayanç
20 August 2026•Update: 20 August 2026
İSTANBUL
NATO conducted a planned air exercise above northeastern Poland near Russia’s Kaliningrad region Tuesday
The exercise involved US and Norwegian fighter jets, a NATO E-3A Sentry AWACS surveillance aircraft, aerial-refueling tankers and a US EA-37B electronic-warfare aircraft
Estimates of the number of aircraft involved ranged from about 25 to 50
Poland’s Operational Command said the exercise was coordinated by NATO and was unrelated to Russian air force activity
The operation was intended to strengthen interoperability among allied forces and practice joint air-operation scenarios, according to the command
The exercise came days after the Bild newspaper in Germany reported details of what it described as a NATO Land Warfighting Concept for responding to a possible Russian attack on the Baltic states
The reported concept includes potential strikes against missile and air-defense systems in the Kaliningrad region
NATO has increased military exercises around the strategically important Suwalki Gap, a narrow stretch of territory connecting Poland and Lithuania between Kaliningrad and Belarus
Allied forces conducted the Amber Shock 26 drills in the area in May
