ŠIAULIAI — French Rafale fighter jets based at Šiauliai Air Base in Lithuania intercepted a Russian Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft over the Baltic Sea and tailed supersonic Russian bombers and their fighter escorts near the airspace of multiple NATO countries. The interceptions were carried out within minutes of takeoff after pilots responded to scramble orders by boarding vans, climbing into their jets and starting their engines.

Pilots on both sides observed and filmed each other during the aerial encounters without engaging weapons. NATO scrambles jets to identify and potentially take other action when Russian planes fly in Baltic airspace without switched-on transponders, flight plans or radio contact.

French aircrews had their busiest day so far on Monday, when they scrambled under NATO command to meet and observe a pair of Russian Tu-22M3 bombers carrying supersonic anti-ship missiles. The missiles have been used by Russia in Ukraine and can be equipped to carry a nuclear warhead.

The Tu-22M3 bombers flew a more-than-four-hour flight from an airbase near St. Petersburg, remaining in international airspace past the coasts of Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland before doubling back near Denmark. Fighter jets from Sweden, Finland, Poland, Denmark and Romania also flew sorties to monitor the Russian bomber flight.

"It's a game of cat and mouse, or rather cat and cat," said Lt. Col. Alexandre, a French air force wing commander. "We watch each other, scrutinize each other and try to make sure that it doesn't go any further."

Commanders and pilots flying NATO air-policing missions on the eastern flank of the 32-nation alliance say their goal is to deter escalation, not provoke. Alliance members take turns policing Baltic skies around the clock, seven days a week, covering Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, which border Russia and Belarus and do not have airpower capable of defending against a Russian attack.

Col. Mihaita Marin, a Romanian air force commander, said interceptions are occurring almost daily and will increase as the weather improves. "We don't know if it's lack of professionalism or just a means for them to test us," Alexandre said. "But what is sure is that we need to go every time. We cannot say, 'OK, that's usual, this time we will just let them pass.'"