Russian warplanes ‘repeatedly’ intercepted RAF spy plane over Black Sea

Two Russian warplanes “repeatedly and dangerously” intercepted an unarmed RAF spy level implicit the Black Sea past month, successful what the Ministry of Defence described arsenic the astir unsafe brushwood involving an RAF craft since 2022.According to the MoD, a Russian Su-35 combatant approached the Rivet Joint surveillance craft intimately capable to trigger its exigency systems and disable its autopilot. A Su-27 pitchy besides carried retired six passes successful beforehand of the RAF plane, coming wrong six metres (19ft) of its nose.The MoD, cited by BBC, said the Rivet Joint had been conducting a regular planetary formation to enactment the information of Nato’s eastbound flank.Defence Secretary John Healey condemned the interceptions and praised the “outstanding professionalism” of the RAF unit during the incident.He said: “This incidental is different illustration of unsafe and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots, towards an unarmed craft operating successful planetary airspace.“These actions make a superior hazard of accidents and imaginable escalation.”He added: “This incidental volition not deter the UK's committedness to support Nato, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression.”

The MoD and the Foreign Office person called connected the Russian embassy to condemn the incident.The latest interceptions travel amid what the MoD described arsenic accrued Russian aggression successful the region, including caller submarine enactment adjacent captious underwater British infrastructure successful the North Sea.The incidental follows a akin occurrence successful September 2022 involving different RAF Rivet Joint craft implicit the Black Sea.

During that encounter, a “rogue” Russian aviator fired 2 missiles, with the archetypal missing the craft alternatively than malfunctioning arsenic initially claimed.Russia said the 2022 incidental was caused by a “technical malfunction”. However, 3 elder Western defence sources aboriginal told the BBC that the rocket was fired aft an ambiguous bid from a Russian crushed station.The RAF’s RC-135W Rivet Joint craft is operated by No 51 Squadron and usually flies from a basal successful Lincolnshire. According to the RAF, the craft uses precocious sensors to “intercept and analyse signals crossed the electromagnetic spectrum, providing real-time strategical and tactical intelligence."