UK scrambles warplanes to intercept Russian aircraft
Two Russian aircraft detected off the coast of Scotland, following a similar incident last month
File Photo
LONDON
Two Royal Air Force Typhoon warplanes were scrambled by Britain on Thursday night to intercept Russian bombers off the coast of Scotland.
Britain’s Ministry of Defense said the Typhoons were launched from the RAF Lossiemouth base, in northeast Scotland, after the two Russian planes were detected over the Atlantic.
A spokesman said: "RAF quick reaction alert Typhoon fighter aircraft were launched overnight from RAF Lossiemouth on a NATO air policing mission after unidentified aircraft were detected flying over the Atlantic in international airspace.
"The aircraft were identified as Russian Tu-160 Blackjack aircraft which were escorted by the RAF until they were clear of the U.K. area of interest. At no time did the Russian military aircraft cross into U.K. sovereign airspace."
A similar incident occurred off the coast of Scotland last month.
In January, Britain summoned the Russian ambassador in London to explain why two long-range aircraft flew over the English Channel with their tracking devices switched off.
The Foreign Office at the time described it as "part of an increasing pattern of out of area operations by Russian aircraft".
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