ATHENS 

Italian fighter jets intercepted Russian planes over the Baltic Sea, Italian media reported on Friday. 

According to the state-run ANSA news agency, Italian Eurofighter jets took off from the Melbork Air Base in the eastern Poland Thursday and Friday morning upon an alarm by the NATO Combined Air Operations Center in Uedem, Germany. 

The Italian jets returned to base both times after the successful interception missions, it added.

Since last November, Italy deployed a 150-strong air force detachment operating within NATO's enhanced Air Policing mission in Poland.

In February 2024, four Eurofighter jets took over Italy's contribution to the mission from the four F-35 jets.