UK says jets intercepted Russian bombers
Britain's Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Thursday that Typhoon fighter jets had intercepted two Russian long-range bombers which had flown close to UK airspace.
The MoD said the incident occurred on Wednesday and prompted the Royal Air Force (RAF) to launch the fighter jets from bases at Lossiemouth in Scotland and Coningsby in eastern England.
"The Russian planes were escorted by the RAF until they were out of the UK area of interest. At no time did the Russian military aircraft cross into UK sovereign airspace," the MoD said in a statement.
UK’s media have quoted analysts as describing the incident as unusual. Elizabeth Quintana, a senior research fellow at defence think-tank the Royal United Services Institute has emphasized that the incident could be linked to Britain beginning an inquiry into the death nine years ago in London of Kremlin critic and ex-KGB spy Alexander Litvinenko.
"Normally Russian Bears come past Norway and down the North Sea. It could have been used to probe the RAF speed of reaction south," Reuters quoted her as having told the Daily Mail newspaper.
"Flying any military aircraft in or close to the sovereign airspace of another country signals displeasure or at worst aggression."
JAS/AA
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