Last month, two Russian fighter jets carried out a dangerous interception of an unarmed British surveillance aircraft in international airspace over the Black Sea, London reported. The British aircraft was conducting a routine mission when the incident occurred.
According to the information, a Russian Su-35 fighter jet flew so close to the British aircraft that it triggered its emergency systems. At the same time, another Russian fighter – an Su-27 – passed six times at a distance of just about 6 meters in front of the nose of the British aircraft, which created a serious risk to flight safety.
The British side warned that such actions carry the risk of "potential escalation" between NATO and Russia, as incidents of this type can lead to unpredictable consequences and miscalculations by both sides.
This is the most dangerous Russian action against a British surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea since 2022. At that time, a Russian aircraft fired a missile in the region, with Moscow explaining the event as a "technical malfunction".