The British Ministry of Defense said on Friday that it had mobilized fighter planes from its fleet after detecting the presence of a Russian military plane near its airspace.
The two British fighter jets were dispatched on Thursday to monitor a Russian Bear-F plane which was flying over the North Sea, the ministry statement said.
Spotted in “the area of interest of the United Kingdom”, the plane did not, however, and “at no time”, cross “the sovereign airspace of the country”.
This incident comes a few days after Russian military ships were seen in the Channel, the ministry added. The Royal Navy had mobilized several of the ships to escort them.
“Our adversaries must not doubt our unwavering determination and our formidable ability to protect the United Kingdom,” said Secretary of State for the Armed Forces Luke Pollard, quoted in the press release.
Incidents involving Russian planes and aircraft from NATO countries have increased in recent years, even before the start of the conflict in Ukraine.
They often took place over the Baltic Sea but also in the Black Sea and elsewhere.
In August 2023, Russian bombers were intercepted by British fighter planes while flying north of Scotland, in airspace controlled by NATO.
