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Two Russian military jets "repeatedly and dangerously" intercepted an unarmed Royal Air Force (RAF) Rivet Joint surveillance aircraft operating over international airspace in the Black Sea last month, the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense (MoD) stated on Wednesday.
Defense Secretary John Healey said in a statement: "This incident is another example of dangerous and unacceptable behavior by Russian pilots, towards an unarmed aircraft operating in international airspace. These actions create a serious risk of accidents and potential escalation."
On the first occasion in mid-April, a Russian Su-35 jet flew sufficiently close to the RAF Rivet Joint to set off the aircraft's onboard emergency systems and disable its autopilot, the Guardian reported.
On the second occasion, also in mid-April, a Russian Su-27 conducted six passes in front of the British aircraft, getting as close as six meters, approximately 19 feet, from its nose at a speed of around 500 miles per hour, risking a collision that could have caused a major diplomatic incident.
The open-source intelligence (OSINT) analysts identified the Su-35 as bearing the designation "51" Red, and the Su-27 as "19" Blue, assigned to the 38th Fighter Aviation Regiment based in Crimea at the Belbek Air Base.
The Su-35 was carrying at least one Kh-31PM anti-radiation missile, one R-37M long-range air-to-air missile, four R-77-1 medium-range air-to-air missiles, two R-73L short-range air-to-air missiles or R-74ML, one L265M10R electronic countermeasure (ECM) wingtip pod and one L265M10P starboard wingtip ECM pod.
The U.K. MoD and Foreign Office called on the Russian embassy to account for the incident.
The RAF Rivet Joint, operated by No. 51 Squadron, carries a crew of up to 30 and uses advanced electronic sensors to intercept and analyze signals across the electromagnetic spectrum, providing real-time strategic and tactical intelligence at ranges of approximately 150 miles, according to the RAF.
The aircraft was conducting a routine flight in support of NATO operations, contributing to the security of the alliance's eastern flank, the MoD said.
The U.K. MoD said the April interceptions were the most dangerous Russian action against a British Rivet Joint since September 2022, when a Russian pilot fired two missiles at an RAF Rivet Joint over the Black Sea.
The first missile missed rather than malfunctioned, as Russia had originally claimed.
The U.K. MoD publicly accepted Russia's explanation of a technical malfunction at the time, but three senior Western defense sources later told the BBC that the pilot had fired after an ambiguous command from a Russian ground station.
Healey paid tribute to the RAF crew. "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," he said.
"Let me be very clear: this incident will not deter the U.K.'s commitment to defend NATO, our allies and our interests from Russian aggression," he noted.
The Black Sea interceptions are part of a broader pattern that the U.K. MoD described as increased Russian military aggression across the region. Last month, Healey revealed that the U.K. had tracked three Russian submarines that loitered over critical undersea infrastructure in the North Atlantic for a month before departing.
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