Finland and Sweden conducted their first joint operation on Thursday, scrambling fighter jets to intercept and identify Russian military aircraft over the Gulf of Finland in international airspace. The operation involved tracking a group of Russian aircraft including a transport plane and several fighter jets, demonstrating NATO cooperation at a time when European nations are increasingly concerned about Russian military activity and potential threats to the continent. The interception underscores heightened tensions in the Baltic Sea region, which has experienced multiple incidents including pipeline outages, airspace violations and drone sightings since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Both Finland and Sweden joined NATO following the 2022 invasion, departing from long-standing policies of non-alignment. The Danish Defence Intelligence Service assessed on Thursday that whilst a full-scale Russian invasion of NATO countries remains "highly unlikely", there is a "low but growing risk" of limited military attacks against NATO nations bordering Russia. The agency expects Russia to intensify "hybrid attacks"—including sabotage against defence companies, disruption of military equipment transport, and destructive cyber attacks—rather than attempt direct military invasion, with such operations potentially occurring in the coming months.