An RAF reconnaissance aircraft was intercepted by two Russian jets flying dangerously close to the British plane over the Black Sea.
Defence Secretary John Healey condemned the close call incident as “another example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots”.
The Ministry of Defence said the British craft had been conducting a routine flight as part of Nato operations on Europe’s eastern flank.
The RAF Rivet Joint flies at speeds of 500mph plus, with defence sources estimating the Russian jets would have been flying around that speed during the dangerous intercept.
Video posted by the MoD shows the Russian Su-35 fly close enough to trigger emergency systems on the Rivet Joint, including disabling the autopilot system.
This is intentional in emergency scenarios and demonstrates how dangerously close the Russian jets were. The crew safely took control and continued with mission.
The other Russian jet, a Su-27, conducted six passes in front of the RAF plane, flying as close as six metres from the Rivet Joint’s nose.
The intimidating flight tactic comes amid continued Russian aggression and heightened military activity in Eastern Europe.
Their interaction happened in mid April, just days after Healey revealed nefarious Russian submarine activity around critical undersea cables in the Atlantic.
It is the latest sign of Putin’s grey war with the West, as the Kremlin continues to direct underhand tactics against NATO allies.
Healey said: “This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behaviour by Russian pilots, towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace. These actions create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation.
“I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding professionalism and bravery of the RAF crew who continued with their mission despite these dangerous actions.
“Let me be very clear: this incident will not deter the UK’s commitment to defend NATO, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression.”
The Rivet Joint is a reconnaissance aircraft that uses advanced sensors for electronic surveillance, enhancing situational awareness.
It was making a routine flight in international airspace over the Black Sea and was unarmed.
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