The British Ministry of Defence (MoD) has accused Russian fighter pilots of carrying out a dangerous aerial interception near an unarmed Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft over the Black Sea.
According to the MoD, two Russian military aircraft — a Su-35 fighter jet and a Su-27 — flew aggressively close to an RAF Rivet Joint reconnaissance plane during what Britain described as a routine international mission.
The incident reportedly became so serious that one of the Russian jets approached closely enough to trigger emergency systems aboard the British aircraft, temporarily disengaging its autopilot functions.
British officials also claimed another Russian jet flew within around 19 feet of the RAF aircraft — a distance far below standard aviation safety norms.
For comparison, aviation protocols generally require military aircraft to maintain far greater separation distances during operations to avoid collisions or dangerous turbulence.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey condemned the encounter, calling the Russian maneuvering “dangerous and unacceptable.”
“It was an example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots,” Healey said while praising the RAF crew for their professionalism during the tense midair encounter.
The MoD described the flyby as one of the most serious incidents involving British aircraft since a 2022 confrontation over the Black Sea in which a missile was reportedly fired near another RAF Rivet Joint plane.
British officials say the latest episode reflects increasingly hostile conditions around NATO operations near Russian-controlled areas.
The UK has vowed to continue surveillance and defence missions alongside NATO allies despite growing tensions with Moscow.
Meanwhile, the British Foreign Office and Ministry of Defence have reportedly raised the issue with Russian officials and urged Moscow to prevent similar incidents in the future.