Two Russian warplanes “repeatedly and dangerously” intercepted an unarmed RAF spy plane over the Black Sea last month, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has said.
A Russian Su-35 fighter approached the Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft, getting close enough to trigger its emergency systems, disabling its autopilot.
And a Su-27 jet also carried out six passes in front of the RAF plane, getting as close as six metres (19ft) from its nose.
Defence Secretary John Healey praised the “outstanding professionalism” of the RAF crew during “unacceptable” Russian flybys, which the MoD says is the most dangerous Russian action since 2022, when a “rogue” pilot fired a missile at a Rivet Joint over the Black Sea.
The MoD said the Rivet Joint had been conducting a routine international flight to aid in securing Nato’s eastern flank.
Condemning the airborne interceptions, Healey said: “This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots, towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace.
“These actions create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation.”
He added: “This incident will not deter the UK’s commitment to defend Nato, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression.”
The MoD and Foreign Office have called on the Russian embassy to condemn the incident.
These latest interceptions come amid increased Russian aggression in the region, the MoD added, pointing to recent submarine activity over critical underwater British infrastructure in the North Sea.
This incident follows a similar one which saw a “rogue” Russian pilot attempt to shoot down an RAF Rivet Joint plane over the Black Sea in September 2022.
The Russian pilot fired two missiles, the first of which missed rather than malfunctioned as claimed at the time.
Russia had claimed the incident last September was caused by a “technical malfunction”.
The MoD publicly accepted the Russian explanation, but three senior Western defence sources later told the BBC the Russian pilot had fired the missile following an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station.
The RAF’s RC-135W Rivet Joint is operated by No 51 Squadron and typically flies out of a base in Lincolnshire. The aircraft use advanced sensors to “intercept and analyse signals across the electromagnetic spectrum, providing real-time strategic and tactical intelligence”, according to the RAF website.
