The UK Ministry of Defence has reported an incident involving Russian aircraft over the Black Sea. According to the ministry, two Russian fighter jets recently carried out several dangerous intercepts of a Royal Air Force Rivet Joint aircraft. A Russian Su-35 reportedly approached close enough to trigger the Rivet Joint’s onboard emergency systems and cause the autopilot to disengage.
During another maneuver, a Russian Su-27 made several passes in front of the British aircraft, at one point flying within approximately six meters of its nose. The RAF Rivet Joint is a reconnaissance aircraft equipped with advanced electronic intelligence sensors designed to improve situational awareness and support NATO security operations.
The Rivet Joint aircraft was conducting a routine flight in international airspace over the Black Sea and was unarmed. The mission was part of broader measures carried out by the United Kingdom together with its allies to support security along NATO’s eastern flank. Despite the dangerous actions of the Russian aircraft, the Royal Air Force crew reportedly remained calm and successfully completed the planned mission.
Following the incident, representatives of the UK Ministry of Defence and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office summoned officials from the Russian embassy to discuss what they described as dangerous and unacceptable behavior by Russian pilots.
“This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable conduct by Russian pilots toward an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace. Such actions create a serious risk of accidents and possible escalation,” said UK Defence Secretary John Healey. “I would also like to recognize the exceptional professionalism and courage of the Royal Air Force crew, who continued their mission despite these dangerous actions.”
This was the most serious incident involving a British Rivet Joint aircraft since 2022, when a Russian aircraft fired a missile over the Black Sea. The event occurred only days after the UK defence secretary reported suspicious activity by Russian submarines near critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic, where British military forces, ships, and aircraft had been operating alongside allied partners.
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Source: gov
