The incident came last month when unarmed Rivet Joint plane was securing NATO’s eastern flank in international airspace, according to the British Defence Ministry. Published On 20 May 202620 May 2026Two Russian jets have “repeatedly and dangerously” intercepted a British Royal Air Force surveillance aircraft in April over the Black Sea, according to the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Defence.The Rivet Joint aircraft was unarmed and carrying out routine surveillance in international airspace over the Black Sea, securing NATO’s eastern flank, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday. There was no immediate reaction from Russia.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list“This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots, towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace,” Defence Minister John Healey said in the statement. “These actions create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation,” he added.It was repeatedly intercepted by a Russian Su-35 aircraft, which flew close enough to trigger emergency systems on the British plane, it said. A Russian Su-27 conducted six passes, flying six metres (less than 20 feet) from the Rivet Joint’s nose.Defence and foreign ministry officials this week formally complained to the Russian embassy about the air incident, Wednesday’s statement added.It said the incident was the most dangerous Russian action against a UK surveillance plane since 2022, when a nearby Russian plane released a missile over the Black Sea, in what Moscow later called a technical malfunction.The intercepts came days after Healey announced that the Royal Navy had tracked and “seen off” three Russian submarines on an alleged monthlong “covert operation” in Atlantic waters “north of the UK” near vital undersea cables and pipelines. Advertisement Healey made details of the monitoring operation public on April 9.“Let me be very clear: This incident will not deter the UK’s commitm …
