The UK Ministry of Defence has confirmed on Friday that British jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian reconnaissance aircraft that had flown close to UK airspace. Two Typhoon fighter jets from RAF Lossiemouth in Scotland were deployed to track the Russian Bear-F aircraft as it flew over the North Sea on Thursday.
Although close proximity, however, the Ministry of Defence has definitely remarked that the Russian aircraft never did penetrate the sovereign airspace of UK at any point in time of the incident. In summary, two Typhoons were supported by Voyager refuelling aircraft in this mission.
Reaffirming UK’s commitment to national security, Armed Forces Minister Luke Pollard also said in a statement: “Our adversaries should be in no doubt of our steadfast determination and formidable ability to protect the UK.” He was also evaluating the professionalism and preparedness of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force in responding to the situation. “The Royal Navy and RAF have once again shown they stand ready to defend our country at a moment’s notice,” said Pollard.
This comes at a time when the tensions about Russia’s military activity surge, and the Royal Navy also tracked Russian vessels passing through the English Channel earlier this week. The Ministry of Defence noted that this was the second such encounter in three months with both Russian ships and aircraft within the same week.
Escalating Incidents Amid Escalating Tensions
These military incidents are becoming more and more frequent, coming hand in hand with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. An increased number of aircraft encounters between the Russian and Western militaries have been reported over the course of recent months, revealing a buildup in the escalation level of tensions.
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