Russia: Su-27 fighters prevent border breach by UK jets, recon plane over Black Sea

Two Russian armed forces Su-27 fighter jets escorted an RC-135 electronic reconnaissance aircraft and two Typhoon fighter jets of Britain’s Royal Air Force over the Black Sea, the Russian ministry of defense said on Monday.

“Russian airspace control over the Black Sea waters detected three aerial targets approaching the state border of Russia. To identify the targets and prevent a violation of the state border, a pair of Su-27 fighters from the air defenses forces [were scrambled],” the ministry said as cited by state news agency TASS.

The Su-27 fighter jets identified the targets as an RC-135 electronic intelligence and electronic warfare aircraft and two British Air Force Typhoon fighters.

The RC-135’s primary mission is signals intelligence, where it collects and processes various types of electronic signals for strategic and tactical purposes. The aircraft is equipped with a wide array of sophisticated intelligence gathering equipment, allowing it to monitor, detect, and intercept enemy communications and radar emissions.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

“As Russian fighters approached, the foreign military aircraft made a U-turn from the state border of Russia. The Russian planes returned to their base airfield and violation of the state border was not allowed.”

The Russian ministry stressed that the interception was carried out in strict accordance with international rules for the use of airspace over neutral waters without crossing air routes or dangerously approaching aircraft of a foreign state.

This comes days after the British RAF scrambled its fighter jets to intercept Russian military aircraft flying close to NATO airspace. Last week the British air force said that for three consecutive weeks, RAF fighter jets have been scrambled to intercept Russian aircraft flying close to NATO airspace.

The Black Sea and the Baltic Sea have witnessed in recent months several interceptions by Russian and NATO members’ aircraft. Tensions over airspace and aerial conduct heightened between Moscow and the West last March when a US military surveillance drone (MQ-9 Reaper) crashed into the Black Sea, after an encounter with Russian Su-27 fighter jets in international airspace near territory Russia claims to have annexed from Ukraine.

Read more:

British fighter jets intercept 3 Russian military aircraft near NATO airspace

Russia: Su-27 jet intercepted US bombers over Baltic Sea, prevented border violation

Russia says intercepted French, German planes over Baltic, airspace violation stopped