️ The UK Ministry of Defence has reported that two Russian fighter jets conducted a series of 'dangerous and repeated' intercepts of a British Royal Air Force Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea in April, while the unarmed plane was conducting routine patrols in international airspace to secure NATO's eastern flank.

️ Defence Secretary John Healey condemned the incident as 'dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots' and warned that such actions 'create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation'. The Russian Su-35 flew so close that it triggered emergency systems on the British plane, while a Su-27 made six passes, coming within six metres (20 feet) of the Rivet Joint's nose.

️ UK defence and foreign ministry officials have formally complained to the Russian embassy. The incident is described as the most dangerous Russian action against a British surveillance aircraft since 2022, when a Russian plane allegedly released a missile over the Black Sea, which Moscow later attributed to a technical malfunction.

️ The intercepts came days after Healey revealed that the Royal Navy had tracked and 'seen off' three Russian submarines on a purported month-long covert operation in Atlantic waters north of the UK, near vital undersea cables and pipelines. The monitoring mission involved around 500 personnel, with UK aircraft flying over 450 hours and a navy frigate covering thousands of nautical miles.

️ A defence review last year concluded that Russia poses an 'immediate and pressing' threat to the UK. Healey warned that the incident would not deter the UK's commitment to defend NATO and its allies from 'Russian aggression'.

Source: www.aljazeera.com