UK Says Russian Jets Dangerously Intercepted RAF Spy Plane Over Black Sea
The UK Defense Ministry said two Russian Su-35 and Su-27 jets repeatedly and dangerously intercepted an RAF Rivet Joint spy plane over the Black Sea in April 2026.[1]
A UK official said a Su-27 flew as close as six meters from the Rivet Joint's nose and a Su-35 flew close enough to trigger the British plane's emergency systems and disable its autopilot.[1] The Defense Ministry called the encounter the most serious involving a Rivet Joint since a Russian jet fired a missile near a British aircraft in 2022 and has lodged formal complaints with the Russian embassy.[1]
On May 20, 2026, the Defense Ministry publicly disclosed the April intercept and said it had raised the incident with Russian diplomatic officials.[1] The ministry framed the episode as an unusually dangerous escalation in encounters between Russian military aircraft and Western surveillance flights in the Black Sea region.[1]
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📌 Key Facts
- On May 20, 2026, the UK Defense Ministry disclosed that two Russian Su-35 and Su-27 jets "repeatedly and dangerously" intercepted an RAF Rivet Joint over the Black Sea in April 2026.
- UK officials said a Russian Su-27 flew as close as six meters (19 feet) from the Rivet Joint's nose and a Su-35 flew close enough to trigger the British plane's emergency systems and disable its autopilot.
- The UK called it the most serious incident involving a Rivet Joint since a Russian jet fired a missile near a British aircraft in the region in 2022 and has filed formal complaints with the Russian embassy.
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