Copenhagen, 15 June 2024 (dpa/MIA) - A Russian military aircraft has violated Swedish airspace, the Swedish Defence Ministry said on Saturday.

The Su-24 fighter aircraft was intercepted by a Swedish Jas-39 Gripen south-east of the island of Gotland in the Baltic Sea, the ministry said.

Foreign Minister Tobias Billström called the Russian behaviour unacceptable and announced that he would summon the Russian ambassador.

The incident, which happened on Friday afternoon, lasted just a few minutes, reported the broadcaster SVT.

The last time Russian military jets violated airspace in this way was in 2022, the ministry said.

Sweden recently became a member of NATO and announced just this week that it would participate in the defence alliance's monitoring of airspace. As such, Swedish fighter jets are to be deployed, primarily over the Baltic states, as part of NATO Air Policing operations.

MIA file photo